[fabjan]

My Sony Ericsson from 2005 does this, why have Apple patented it?

[tptacek]

They patented it in 1996.

[chopsueyar]

I thought they filed in 1996.

[tptacek]

You're probably right, but that's irrelevant here: a 2005 phone isn't invalidating prior art for a patent filed in 1996. In fact, for some forms of disclosure, there's a cushion of 12 months prior to filing, meaning that conceivably a phone could have been disclosed in 1995 that wouldn't invalidate this one.

[chopsueyar]

No, but you made it seem silly somebody would even create the 2005 phone when the patent had been granted in 1995.