The Design of the Original iPhone 3G
A design patent protecting the specific visual appearance and shape of the iPhone 3G as it appeared in 2008.
Original patent title: “USD618677S1 - Electronic device”
A design patent protecting the specific visual appearance and shape of the iPhone 3G as it appeared in 2008. Granted to Apple Inc in 2010 with 1 claim and 57 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This is a design patentdesign patentCovers the ornamental appearance of a product, not function. 15-year term from grant.Read more →, which protects the unique visual characteristics of an object rather than how it functions. It covers the specific ornamental design of the iPhone 3G, including the curvature of its back, the placement of the camera lens, the button layout, and the overall proportions of the device. By claiming the design as shown in the provided drawings, Apple secured legal protection against competitors creating devices that look substantially similar to this specific model.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the internal hardware, circuitry, or software features of the device.
- Does not cover functional aspects like how the touchscreen registers a tap or swipe.
- Does not cover devices with different physical dimensions or button placements.
- Does not cover the manufacturing process used to create the device casing.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The patent captures the 'look and feel' of the device, effectively turning the physical shape of the product into a protectable intellectual property asset that is distinct from the underlying technology.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Apple iPhone 3G
Apple iPhone 3GS
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Design patents are a primary tool for protecting the aesthetic identity of consumer electronics. This patent was part of Apple's broader strategy to establish a distinct visual language for the iPhone, which became a focal point in high-stakes litigationlitigationA lawsuit over patent infringement. Litigated patents often signal commercial importance.Read more → against competitors like Samsung to prevent the proliferation of look-alike smartphones.
Filed
November 18, 2008
Granted
June 29, 2010
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Apple continues to hold and enforce a massive portfolio of design patents covering the evolving aesthetics of the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Major competitors like Samsung and Google also maintain extensive design patentdesign patentCovers the ornamental appearance of a product, not function. 15-year term from grant.Read more → portfolios to protect their own hardware aesthetics.
Market impact
This patent and its siblings helped define the smartphone era by allowing companies to assert ownership over industrial design. It shifted the market by forcing manufacturers to differentiate their products visually to avoid infringementinfringementMaking, using, selling, or importing a patented invention without permission from the patent holder.Read more → claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →, leading to the diverse range of smartphone designs seen today.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This is a design patent, which protects the unique visual characteristics of an object rather than how it functions. It covers the specific ornamental design of the iPhone 3G, including the curvature of its back, the placement of the camera lens, the button layout, and the overall proportions of the device. By claiming the design as shown in the provided drawings, Apple secured legal protection against competitors creating devices that look substantially similar to this specific model.
The clever bit
The patent captures the 'look and feel' of the device, effectively turning the physical shape of the product into a protectable intellectual property asset that is distinct from the underlying technology.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the internal hardware, circuitry, or software features of the device.
- Does not cover functional aspects like how the touchscreen registers a tap or swipe.
- Does not cover devices with different physical dimensions or button placements.
- Does not cover the manufacturing process used to create the device casing.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
35/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
1/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$72K – $230K
Midpoint $144K · 2.4 yr remaining · industry baseline
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
1 claim as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Iuliis, D. D., Jobs, S., Satzger, D. B., Rohrbach, M. D., Zorkendorfer, R., Nishibori, S., Howarth, R. P., Stringer, C. J., Coster, D. J., Whang, E. A., Ive, J. P., Andre, B. K., Seid, C. Q., & Kerr, D. R. (2010). The Design of the Original iPhone 3G (U.S. Patent No. D,618,677). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/D618677/original-iphone-design
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Design of the Original iPhone 3G cover?
A design patent protecting the specific visual appearance and shape of the iPhone 3G as it appeared in 2008.
Who owns patent US D618677?
Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2010.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on June 29, 2030, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US D618677 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 57 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Design patents are a primary tool for protecting the aesthetic identity of consumer electronics. This patent was part of Apple's broader strategy to establish a distinct visual language for the iPhone, which became a focal point in high-stakes litigation against competitors like Samsung to prevent the proliferation of look-alike smartphones.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the internal hardware, circuitry, or software features of the device.
Same assignee
More from Apple Inc
Patent monitoring