Google Nexus One Software Updated to Offer 'Pinch-to-Zoom' Multi-Touch Capabilities

[MacRumors]

Google yesterday announced that it had begun to deliver over-the-air software updates to users of its Android-based Nexus One smartphone, offering a number of enhancements. Most notably, the update enables pinch-to-zoom multi-touch functionality in several core applications.

Pinch-to-zoom functionality: devices will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone's Browser, Gallery and Maps applications

Google's Android operating system previously did not support pinch-to-zoom in the U.S., with sources indicating that it had agreed not to include the functionality at the request of Apple. The functionality has, however, been available in European versions of Android smartphones. As the relationship between the Apple and Google, has soured amidst increasingly direct competition, speculation of course centers around the possibility that Google now considers full multi-touch capabilities to be fair game in the U.S.

For its part, Google offered a weak explanation to ReadWriteWeb, claiming that until this point, the hardware was not sufficient to deliver adequate pinch-to-zoom capabilities in Android.

Looking around the mobile industry, from Apple to Palm to HTC and Motorola - it's clear that pinch-to-zoom technology has become a standard and popular way for users to interact with their mobile phones. Likewise, Android users can now truly benefit from this capability with the availability of Android 2.1, which powers a new class of devices with larger touchscreens and more interactive features. Unlike past devices, these phones have the processing power to deliver pinch-to-zoom, while still providing a great user experience. Based on these new capabilities and numerous requests from Android users, we decided to provide pinch-to-zoom capabilities with this new over-the-air software update for Nexus One devices.

Engadget has posted a video of the Nexus One's pinch-to-zoom functionality in action.



Article Link: Google Nexus One Software Updated to Offer 'Pinch-to-Zoom' Multi-Touch Capabilities

 

[KScottMyers]

From the video - looks like it has a few issues. Not quite the iPhone experience.

 

[str1f3]

I guess it's really on between Google & Apple now.

 

[the-oz-man]

Wow, for all of those Apple haters out there that say the iPhone/iPad doesn't have this or that . . . to think that the great Android software didn't even have pinch to zoom??? Forget that it is possibly proprietary; that obviously hasn't stopped any of the like (Pre for example) of copying features and/or abilities.

 

[iDisk]

Yawn .........

This has been around on the iPhone since its launch.

Nobody cares about Googles old adaptation to "Pinch to Zoom" technology.... "OMGosh we can zoom now yay!! yippieeee"...NOT!!

We know their plans now, and they want to "Kill the iPhone" so besides search at the moment and maps (which I barely use), somebody tell me why I should care about google?? and their monopolistic community.

This should be Page 2 news.

Google is dead in my eyes now.

 

[aricher]

What happened to Steve's iPhone keynote claim of "and boy have we patented it!” ??? Must not apply to pinch to zoom :-(

 

[wesleyh]

We know their plans now, and they want to "Kill the iPhone" so besides search at the moment and maps (which I barely use), somebody tell me why I should care about google?? and their monopolistic community.

This should be Page 2 news.

Google is dead in my eyes now.

Monopolistic? Aren't they allowed to enter whatever market they want? This comment is laughable.

 

[Ambrose Chapel]

i'm dubious that apple would just ask google to not implement it. didn't jobs famously claim "and boy have we patented it!" guess not?

 

[djrobsd]

The lawyers on both sides of the fence must be having an orgy right now...

 

[Outsider]

Apple and Google have had to come to some sort of secret patent sharing agreement here. Perhaps a team-up to kill Flash (?).

 

[oclor]

Doesn't apple have a patent on multitouch?

 

[macUser2007]

I am glad Android is becoming better competition for Apple.

This way, if the iPad doesn't support Flash, I know that there will be an Android tablet which is as easy to use, but it supports all Web standards.

Similarly, when time comes to replace my two 3G S iPhones, if the next gen iPhone doesn't have Flash, I'll have some decent choices to go to. Flash 10 runs great on Android.

Competition is good.

 

[OllyW]

Wow, for all of those Apple haters out there that say the iPhone/iPad doesn't have this or that . . . to think that the great Android software didn't even have pinch to zoom???

Other Android phones in the rest of the world already have it, it's only in the US where it's late.

 

[student_trap]

this is good news, all of googles hardware could do with it if they really want to compete.

Also, this competition is good for all of us!

 

[Diode]

What happened to Steve's iPhone keynote claim of "and boy have we patented it!” ??? Must not apply to pinch to zoom :-(

Yea I was thinking the same thing. I thought Apple patented that motion?

Maybe Google licensed it?

 

[jonnysods]

Woooooooooooow. Welcome to 2007 Google.

Nokia will totally be suing these guys soon. And anyone else who seems to make money by selling cell phones.

 

[Masquerade]

Google as mantaining android out of multitouch as cortersy!

 

[kas23]

Yawn .........

This has been around on the iPhone since its launch.

Nobody cares about Googles old adaptation to "Pinch to Zoom" technology.... "OMGosh we can zoom now yay!! yippieeee"...NOT!!

Funny, would you same the same thing about the iPhone adapting cut/paste after many other phones have had it for years?

i'm dubious that apple would just ask google to not implement it. didn't jobs famously claim "and boy have we patented it!" guess not?

Sure, he did. But, this was more of an act of showmanship, rather than a legal document. It was a marketing tactic. Other phones (the Pre, for example) have implement pinch-zoom and nothing has happened to them. And, it's been about a year since Cooke vaguely threatened legal actions against Palm.

 

[Stella]

Its great that more phones are getting multi-touch. Multi-touch shouldn't be restricted to just Apple.

Competition is great - it will keep Apple from becoming a microsoft that becomes complacent.

Yea I was thinking the same thing. I thought Apple patented that motion?

Maybe Google licensed it?

I think they patented the gestures, not the Multi-touch technology ( which actually, isn't new - its been done previously - prior art).

 

[Chaos123x]

Yes Apple does have lots of patents on multitouch.


But they also had lot's of patents for a visual GUI that was used with a mouse and a keyboard... but that didn't stop Windows.

 

[soft]

Notice that the web-surfing experience on the all new 1 Ghz Google Nexus from 2010 is worse than iPhone OS 1.0 from early 2007.

 

[iDisk]

Monopolistic? Aren't they allowed to enter whatever market they want? This comment is laughable.

It's laughable to the blinded .... Google is slowly setting the stage for a new era of "monopoly", just wait and see.

Oh yeah and there "Don't be evil mantre: It's a load a crap"...

A prime example of Google's true character was how eric schmidt weaseled his way onto Apples board to steal ideas and talk with Apple engineers ........

This news about Pinch to Zoom is laughable, who really cares!? THATS OLDER THEN THE "WHEN IS APPLE GETTING BLU-RAY" talk... Google sucks dude, don't be fooled.

 

[WhySoSerious]

does this update allow multi-touch when using the virtual keyboard? i think before, it would only let you press on one "key" at a time...

 

[iDisk]

Funny, would you same the same thing about the iPhone adapting cut/paste after many other phones have had it for years?

Actually that's much different, when Apple released the iPhone in 2007 people wanted that on a Touch device, Apple was the ONLY touch device smartphone maker at the time.

Apple had to seamlessly and creatively innovate a way to do copy/paste/cut right for a full touch device.

 

[nfl46]

People just love to bash Apple.

NOW, if Apple would have added pinch-to-zoom to the iPhone and a Google phone had it in 2007, then all hell would have broke loose. Apple would have been bashed for being "late to the party," etc.

smh. Welcome to 2010, Google.

Apple, may be late to these, but the way they implement it is flawless, b/c C&P on the iPhone is SO much better than on the Blackberry Storm.