Apple Bullying Google on the Playground?

[Rocco Augusto]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://venturebeat.com/2009/02/09/apple-asked-google-not-to-use-multi-touch-in-android-and-google-complied/' target='_blank'>http://venturebeat.com/2009/02/09/a...oogle-complied/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"It's hard to imagine anyone being able to bully Google into submission, but according to Venture Beat, that's exactly what Apple did. The report claims Apple encouraged Google not to use multi-touch technology in the Android-based G1 mobile phone, and Google agreed, Venture Beat says citing an un-named Android team member as the source."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1234474566.usr8.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>I was really hoping to avoid this story but it seems no matter where I turn everyone appears to be talking about it! Whether or not there is any merit to this story, which appears to be up in the air at the moment, I just do not see the big deal over Google not including multi-touch at Apple's request. Apple after all has filed for a patent involving multi-touch technology, something I am sure Google was aware of. As for the other ridiculous claims that Apple requested HTC to not include a 3.5mm port on the handset... well the only thing I can add to that is that these rumors were probably started by someone that hasn't used too many HTC handsets. I cannot think of any HTC handset, minus the Touch HD, that has ever come with its own 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. Honestly to me this entire story just screams "slow news day," but I would love to hear what everyone who visits our site thinks of this recent FUD. Is it really a big deal that Google might have axed features at Apple's request?</p>

[Lord_Zelo]

I can see the multitouch thing being a problem if Google used the same type of technology to make that available in the G1 as Apple did for the iPhone... But the 3.5mm jack? Come on... Those jacks have been around for Eons... Also, the ability to have hands-free work through a headphone jack of that type has been around for a long time too. I have a Mitac Mio A701 that has a 2.5mm jack with headphone/microphone support. This phone came out almost 2 years before the iPhone did. I'm sure support for this type of thing with a 3.5mm jack was out long before the iPhone as well). So that can't be true about Apple bullying HTC about that. The multitouch on the other hand I can see being true. It all depends on the technology used to impliment it into the device.

[The Yaz]

... and on our next slow newsday the truth will come out that Apple forced Microsoft to write programs for the PocketPC's that could not be closed out with the "X" button beacause that feature was originally avalable in the Newton...

Please, multitouch interface I can understand, but I was under the assumption that most phones use the 2.5mm jack to save space in their phones vs. the 3.5mm jack. No one needs to tell them that :rolleyes:

[Jason Dunn]

According to the Maximum PC article on this:

"The unidentified source claims Apple owns a patent on "controlling software using buttons connected by a standard 3.5mm headphone jack (at least for music and video playback controls), and would not grant Google a license to the patent."

So I don't think it was HAVING a 3.5mm headphone jack, it was related to controlling the phone via the 3.5mm headphone cable...? Kind of bizarre. :confused:

[Rocco Augusto]

I call shenanigans!

To be honest I am happy the T-Mobile G1 does not include a 3.5mm port. The phone itself is more than big enough. The extra piece of hardware would have added a tiny extra bulk. In the phone world even a few millimeters can make all the difference in whether or not a customer buys a device.