I am always buffled by airlines which put last generation seats onto new aircrafts (e.g. Korean, Royal Burnei, Air China, United, JAL, Lufthansa), and have to upgrade their seats to catch up to industy standards long before the seats reach the end of their useful lives. 

I cannot speak for the seat manufacturer, but it would appear that there are structural elements underneath some arm rests and not others (namely those directly adjacent to the aisles). Underneath the 'console' or 'side-table' of each passenger is the feet compartment for the passenger behind. If...

The colour scheme is truly awful. Would be grating for a 15 minute bus ride, not to mention a 7 hour flight. I wonder if that is a deliberate 'brand differentiator' rather than a cost-cutting measure, as fabric in sensible colours can't cost more...