Full FeedApple stops Google from using multitouch, dominates touchscreen device industry
According to an Android team member, Google did not implement multi-touch into their T-Mobile G1 because Apple requested they leave it out. Why did Google agree, you might ask? Well, according to this source, he is actually relieved Google chose not to implement it. With the signs that a patent battle is in the works between Palm and Apple, Google wants no chance of ruining their relationship with our favorite company. With Google Maps and other great Google features implemented so well into Apple’s products, too, it’s probably a good thing they don’t want to risk fighting. More importantly, however, are the few interesting things this shows about the power that Apple has in this market.
If Google, one of the largest and most well known companies in the world took multi-touch, the hottest new feature in gadgets, out of their phone simply because Apple didn’t want them to have it, that’s saying something. Even a company this large does not want to risk getting into a patent dispute with Apple and trying to compete with their popular iPhone. If you ask me, this further proves that Apple may very well be one of the only competitors in this market for a while. Sure, you have the Blackberry Storm and (soon) Palm Pre, but if you ask me, they are no match for Apple’s iPhone at this point.
Apple did a smart thing when they first created the iPhone. They created over 200 patents on its technology alone. With this large library to back up some of the most important features of the phone, many companies out there aren’t going to want to even try to take on Apple in this area. Not only that, but the iPhone was built so well that it may not even matter if other companies try to take on Apple at this point. The iPhone has already made its impression and has come a long way. Where it goes in the future should be exciting to see.
Via [VentureBeat]
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The pretext of this story is silly: why would Google agree to dumb down its device and slow the pace of innovation when another path exists to incorporate multi-touch technology into the Android operating system? The idea completely ignores the concept of negotiated licensing, and the fact that Google dwarfs Apple in book value, market share in their respective sectors, and relative ‘importance’ to the overall technology picture.
Given the importance of Google technology to Apple, and to the iPhone in particular, it’s simply ludicrous to believe that Google would cringe before Apple and acquiesce to avoiding any suggestion of patent infringement or intellectual property conversion. While Apple has made it clear that they will relentlessly defend their portfolio, they have—in fact—been only a moderately successful in doing so, are currently embroiled in more than one protracted battle over their technology, and are not yet the clear winner in these ongoing cases.
Sometimes, a source with an otherwise convincing story is just another guy with nothing more than a vivid imagination and an interesting concept…
on February 11, 2009 at 04:04 PM - LINK