Robert Barr, executive director of the University of California Berkeley’s Center for Law and Technology, agrees that Nokia’s Windows Phone user interface are distinct compared with iPhone, reports The New York Times.

“Nokia, a longtime maker of phones, also has a thick portfolio of patents to protect itself. For Microsoft and Nokia, which are trying to make a comeback in smartphones, this design distinction is a clear advantage in the internecine patent wars sweeping the industry as much as it is a marketing advantage,” the Times reports.

Stay tuned. During a September 5 event in New York, Nokia and Microsoft are expected to announce a high-end Lumia phone, probably with a new version of Windows Phone OS. Nokia’s annual developers’ conference also takes place September 5 and 6 in Finland.