Advertising rights for the 'thinnest smartphone' have been awarded to Apple after a UK court deemed the iPhone 4 to be thinner overall than Samsung’s Galaxy S II.

This occurs as Apple file a new patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung in the UK.

Battle of the bulge

Samsung had initially challenged the Cupertino-based company over its citing in UK advertising that the iPhone 4, at 9.3mm thick, was the thinnest smartphone available.

The Galaxy S II is mostly 8.71mm thick, however the UK's Advertising Standards Authority stepped in to arbitrate and found the iPhone 4 had more right to the title.

A report in the Guardian indicates the the ASA found "that the Galaxy S II had prominent bulges at the top of the device," which factored in its decision.

"Apple said consumers would not be interested in the thinnest part of the device, but in its overall measurements, as these would, for example, affect whether the device could fit into a pocket or purse." the ASA reported.

It also added that it had sided with the Apple device "because the iPhone 4's thickest point was thinner than the thickest point of the Samsung Galaxy S II."

Patently obvious

If you thought that you were about to read through an entire news story involving Apple and Samsung without a mention of patent lawsuits...

Apple has separately filed a patent lawsuit against Samsung, this time in the UK. This will mark the 20th legal jurisdiction in which patent infringements have been fought over between the two companies.

Patent lawsuits are also being fought out in the US, Japan, South Korea, Germany (where Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been banned), The Netherlands, the American ITC, Italy, France and Australia.

[source: Apple Insider]