Image by niallkennedy via Flickr
Ever since Google CEO Eric Schmidt ‘resigned’ from Apple‘s board of directors last year, there’ have been no end of rumours of intense competition between the two companies.
Of course they should naturally be competition, being two of the largest tech companies in the world, but up until recently Apple and Google had a well known ‘friendship’. Google agreed not to compete directly with Apple’s products or technologies. We believe this was the reason Google’s Nexus One handset wasn’t launched with Multi Touch features enabled, even though we all knew the device was more than capable of such technology.
Today, that changed. Google are rolling out an update to the version of Android running on the Nexus One, which among other things, will enable Multi Touch across the entire Operating System. Including the much requested pinch-zoom in Google Maps.
The amazing Google Goggles application – which allows users to search the web by taking a photograph directly from their mobile phone – will now be installed as standard on all Nexus Ones.
Some users reported problems with 3G connectivity on launch of the GNO, this has also been address in the new update. Google is on the ball!
This all comes on the day that concept art of an Android power Google Tablet have been appearing all around the web. Now that Apple is fair game, Google isn’t pulling any punches. It will be interesting to see what comes of this head-to-head battle between the two companies.
Although they may appear quite similar, Google and Apple could not be more different in the way they present their brand image and the way the companies are run. Apple’s tendency to control every aspect of their product might not stride well when developers have the choice to play around with Google’s Free and Open Source approach.
We wonder how long it’ll be before Microsoft join the game with branded mobile phones and tablets. Imagine getting a Blue Screen of Death whilst reading the Guardian. Just food for thought…
