I think Bruno is right on the money. Physical case design is one thing, but the software design is what makes an apple product (yes, I know, the iPod music playing software sucks, but it accomplished its design objective of making mp3 ripping and playback possible for the idiot masses). You see the phone designers copying some of the software design, too, with all the swiping gestures. But mostly those are gimmicks. It's still like comparing an original Mac to a Windows 3.1 machine. Anyone who used one could instantly feel the difference, even in the tiny things like how the mouse pointer moved.

You can't just put good design on the top of crap like frosting on an ugly cake. It has to be part of every decision made in developing a product. Case shape is one thing, but the important decisions are harder to replicate.

Jim