Turns out that the
DROID does support multitouch after all -- it's just not as baked as the
MILESTONE's, and it's certainly not the kind you'll see out of the box. The DROID's European cousin features multitouch right in the phone's core software load (most notably pinch-and-zoom in the browser, which
we've seen demoed on video) whereas the DROID itself still features multitouch capability in APIs but doesn't expose it through any built-in app. Translation: the apps you use every day -- Google Maps and the browser, chiefly -- get left out in the cold for some reason that neither Google nor Motorola (nor Verizon) have thus far been willing to adequately justify. Where you can experience the magic of pinch-and-zoom is in third-party apps written to take advantage of Android 2.0's new APIs (
Phandroid demos it on a fresh version of Picsay, for instance), but at the end of the day, that's a consolation prize -- we still want a spin-free explanation of why this was all turned off for the base apps. Follow the break for video of Picsay's support for the good stuff in action.
[Image via
mobile-review]
posted Nov 4th 2009 5:05AM
Oh ok .
Not OK. Patent infringement lawsuit is coming..
To some it doesn't mean at all, but to an aspiring droid app-developer it could mean a lot, in particular for the software compatibility he/she will be using.
Its not a piece of cake to create an app's from scratch just because the device don't have a "multi-touch" functionality,. If moto-corp says that their droid creation have one.. then its a good news after-all :D
The future of android 2.0: http://bit.ly/android-2-0-worlds-fastest-mobile-operating-system
This was no news, it's been clearly stated that the Android 2.0 API exposed multitouch functionality. DROID does Android 2.0, thus DROID does multitouch. Only the built-in apps don't, and we knew that as well.
It is kind of news, though, because Engadget stated in their review that there is no multitouch. I actually argued it, and Josh noted that 2.0 supports it, but it wasn't present on the DROID. I guess it's just not there on the preinstalled apps, but 3rd parties are a go. Josh just didn't have any multitouch capable, 2.0-ready apps to test it on. I actually saw the Picsay update on my phone and it said, "update is necessary for 2.0 users only. Added multitouch support."
Yeah, this is totally NOT news. My G1 has multi-touch. I use an app called "Phone My PC" for accessing my PC remotely (instead of the outrageously priced RDP app.) Anyway, to zoom in and out you do the pinch thing like on the iPhone...
Apple can't force devices to "not understand" multitouch - they can only force them to not USE it... third-party developers are a little less worried about lawsuits, I guess.
Bottom line is, this is NOT news... multi-touch has been available and working since Android 1.0.
Is there really a patent for Multitouch owned by Apple?
I mean, they didn't really invent it, so IDon't see how they can deny this to other
manufacturers. I think it's just a case of someone playing nice with Apple, for some reason - The Droid does multitouch outside of the US, so how come Apple is not jumping down the throat of Motorola internationally?
What about the possibility of someone creating an app that allows multitouch in the base applications. This seems very doable to me. I predict an app that will allow multitouch in Google maps app.
Apple has a multitouch patent (Granted in Jan. 2009) but is currently being sued by Elan who claims infringement on two patents by Apple's multitouch. Also Palm states that they have patents that would makes the multitouch patent un re-enforceable.
Actually, Apple patented the word "multi-touch" (hyphen included) as a feature for Apple touch devices. Multitouch, on the other hand, is a technology that's been used for plenty of devices without lawsuit (ZuneHD, TouchSmart PC, Palm Pre, etc.)
Could it be a "get it out the door" firmware release, with something akin to the European version on its way?
i wouldn't wonder if next week a patch is out since firmwarehackers will take us-images and eu-images and compare them down to the last bits ;)
Phandroid seems broken- I just get a 404. Still, I'm not surprised to see multitouch on the Droid. I would expect this to be fully functional in the future, albeit perhaps not officially.
Now all that left is tethering......
never mind, still better than iPhone
only to the fervently anti-Apple.
It's time for Engadget readers who don't already know this to be informed of the fact (and this applies to most industries) that phone vendors often share suppliers and/or IP (intellectual property) and a little deal making is done behind closed doors. Not quite a cartel, but it is why we have yet to experience the ultimate device. (The Nokia N95 8G probably came close being it does most of what it does well - camera, fast processor, great satnav, games etc.) Anyway, ignoring the obvious overlap between Google and Apple (maps, Android etc), Samsung make the processor in the iPhone and the LCDs in some other Apple products. And LG come into the picture somewhere too.
So, you can imagine that in their negotiations and supply deals, things like this will be agreed: "Dear Samsung, you're providing our processors and win either way, so please avoid too many iPhone like features in your handsets. Enjoy your low to mid range demographic sales, and we'll hit the high end/more affluent. Regards, Apple" (In reality, those who grow out of Samsung's friendly touch screen phones will probably upgrade to an iPhone later in life.) Re Android, a similar agreement will be in place, perhaps for a limited time. So, expect multitouch to appear on Android at some time in the future, with no legal action from Apple.
Just a guess, but the only way for a company to make the ultimate do it all device is to produce (not buy in) most of the components and own the IP. LG and Nokia are the only two companies who can do this, Nokia own their OS, mapping company etc, while LG also make displays and have shown remarkable ability to innovate with some of their handsets. Nokia own the most IP and have the best licensed technology (Carl Zeiss lenses for example) and if they put their minds to it, could create the ultimate handset. To do this, they need a very good UI designer to overhaul whatever OS they choose to gamble the future of the company on.
Anyway, re the excellent DROID, there are other ways to zoom in on objects than just Apple like two finger multitouch. Developers need to think creatively!
The Nokia N95 came close to being the ultimate device? Yeah, if you like using a mobile OS that feels like it should have been retired in 2004, enjoy playing games on a cramped d-pad and want a Sat Nav with a tiny screen then sure I guess it did come close to being the ultimate device.
"there are other ways to zoom in on objects than just Apple like two finger multitouch. Developers need to think creatively!"
They should have a system where you move your finger in a circle to zoom. Clockwise for in, anticlockwise for out, or has that already been done?
Drawing circles too zoom yes this is ideal I find myself wanting the draw circle technique for all input methods throughout my life.
@Gav & APD
see: N900 browser
see: HTC Album
both use finger rotation for zoom. It's nice, just not as accurate as pinch zoom. *sigh*
N95?Ultimate Device??? Are folks here keen to see Nokia fail by encouraging their total lack of innovation. I don't see how a device with a 2.8 inch screen, a shitty browser, a numeric keypad, a laggy outdated OS and no innovation in usability, hardware or software to speak of be called an ultimate device.
Nokia fanboys it seems are one up on the much derided apple fanboys. Nokia devices were full of features no one used, because Nokia didn't care about usability, only profitability hence all those 3g devices with no internet usage of any kind, small screens, crippled ram, stagnant os, poor build quality.
Nokia is a great case study to see how to lose market share, mindshare and relevance. How many people are looking to Nokia to come up with the ultimate device.
What else was there when the N95 first came out? First gen iPhone, NO android, none of what we have now. Did other readily-available phones have gps AND a 5mpx camera with a flash and several apps that integrated functionality? It was Winmo, Apple was new, and Symbian. That's it. The N95 was a game changer that came on the verge of a paradigm shift, but got lost in the fray.
The browser is crappy by today's standards, yes, but back then it was very competitive. What other phone even ATTEMPTED to incorporate flash? As a matter of fact, I sometimes switch back to it when I need a stable and reliable phone and am annoyed with my iPhone.
I am going to go ad hom for a sec and suggest that since you are new to smartphone discussion, and you have no CLUE with regard to their history, you go back and read engadget mobile starting at about 2003.
You are an excellent writer but please don't comment until you can properly add to the conversation without screwing up the whole technological timeline.
they're terrified of an applesuit...
Engadget and G4 gave the only reviews I saw that ever said 'no multitouch.' Other reviewers seem to have realized that it just wasn't integrated in the pre-installed apps. Most Android devices to date have had multitouch enabled for third-party use.
Anyways, I'm sure Moto and VZW didn't want to incite too many angry Apple and AT&T guys until the phone had made a place for itself. (Isn't AT&T working on suing VZW at the moment anyways? And Apple is very lawsuit-happy, even when it comes to non-patented things.) All Google has to do then is release an update for the Android browser and Google Nav which utilizes multitouch, since it's a software issue.
Probably just a bug deep in their software stack that they couldn't fix in time for release. So, they just disabled/avoided the problem. There is almost certainly no "patent avoidance" going on here. They'll fix this in an upgrade at some point. Watch and see if other third party multitouch apps have bugs or end up "not 2.0 compatible" until the fix comes out.
I completely agree. I find the idea that Google is a) afraid of Apple or b) has a backroom deal with Apple to not put multitouch pinch/zoom into base Android applications to be completely ludicrous.
Android 2.0 was rushed out the door for Droid, almost in parallel with the Donut release.
Android 2.1 is already on the near term roadmap as a bug-fix release.
I imagine multitouch for the browser and Google Maps will appear in either 2.1 or soon thereafter.
WTF? "A Bug in the stack". First off, your terminology is wrong. Second of all, the code for multitouch is still in the "stack" because its exposed in the API for developers. Third, Motorola OPTIONALLY removed it. This is OBVIOUS because they have the Browser written with multitouch support. How do we know this? Because it's shipping with the MILESTONE and has been demoed on camera.
I love Engadget comments. So happily misinformed and wrong.
Wow, that sucks!
Unfortunately this is like saying the iPhone can multi-task. It can do so with Apple's own apps but no one elses. Don't get me wrong here, I know Android's app catalogue is far larger then the two 'multitasking' apps built into the iPhone. But the core similarities are there. No Google maps touching will suck.
Doesn't the keyboard support multitouch (touch the next letter before lifting the finger from the last one)?
I sure hope so. I can't imagine that an onscreen keyboard without multitouch could be of any use, but at least it has a physical keyboard.
People, it's Verizon! They -have- to cripple the software - it's in their corporate bylaws!
Really? I'm pretty sure your review of muscle might has nothing to do with phones. Especially since I can see it RIGHT IN THE URL
I still dont understand the big hype of multitouch on a cell phone. I don't want to use both of my hands to operate my phone. Double tap is more efficient and does the same job.
Until they can find a better use for multitouch, I will continue to not care about this feature.
Double tap may be quicker, but pinch zoom is more precise. i can resize a section to whatever size I want, not just a pic or block of text and have the phone guess how I want it.
I've been using browsers that use double tap for awhile now on WinMo, and clicking that tiny tiny link at the top or bottom of a page (like a page number) is a nightmare without pinch zoom. You can take out the zoom magnifying glass in these situations, but in many cases you are resized away from the link you wanted or you're still too far to be comfortable clicking it.
And I use multitouch pinch zoom with one hand all the time, you should try it. When the phone's as thin as the Droid of iPhone, it's quite easy.
Again......
Folks this is a "Feature".
It is not for "Everyone"
So Verizon doesn't want to make everyone take something they might not want.
For those that do want this "Feature", they can pay $3.99 a month for it.
@Rosen Law Firm, LLC
so Apple's going to sue Motorola or Verizon or just SOMEBODY to make sure multitouch isn't implemented? Seems rather illogical and iDon't buy it.
I couldn't even begin to make a full list of devices that do pinch zoom without Apple's permission>>Microsoft ZuneHD & Surface, Entire HP TochSmart line, Dell Latitude, Palm Pre & Pixi, the list goes on (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch). To my knowledge, JUST THE TERM "multi-touch" is a patent of Apple Inc., not the technology itself, which would explain why all of the above devices have been announced and/or released without giant lawsuits from Apple.
What gets me is why Verizon's product page for Droid lists "multitouch" (spelled that way too, if my memory serves me) as a feature, but it isn't implemented. They couldn't do that if you are right about them trying to hide the fact from Apple or something. Plus, why go after a company like Motor-izon when they never went after Palm or Microsoft (who seemed to have implemented pinch-zoom better anyway, from the videos of the EU Droid I've seen). Apple, who has historically gone after the little guys too hasn't gone after cyanogen for bringing multitouch to the G1, so my question is:
WTF ARE YOU AFRAID OF!? I LIKE PINCH ZOOM IN MY MAPS AND BROWSER!
If multitouch is already loaded in the virtual keyboard to make typing easier, why not anywhere else? It's not a feature for me anymore, it's very close to being a requirement on touch screens. It's one of the only reasons I want the Droid over the N900, and now apparently if I want to aid my double tap zooming with the more precise pinch-zoom, I have to wait for 3rd party devs to replace my maps and browser app.
I love all of the random speculating and general nonsense going on in these comments.
People, calm down. It's a cell phone. We should all know by now that it will be hacked to do everything but your laundry within a week.
Since Android is open source, would it be possible for a 3rd party to produce a modified version of the Android browser (or their own browser) that includes the pinch-to-zoom functionality?
The HTC Hero already does it, and it's running Android 1.5 that has no multitouch libraries at all.
Yet another droid disappointment.
So far is a fail. Plus verizons $350 ETF doesnt help.
How is this a disappointment. Expect fully integrated multitouch within a month imo.
You don't think all the nerds drooling over this phone, android, and its open development are going to be all over it like white on rice? C'mon. Get real. This thing is going to get hacked six ways from sunday.
Something is not right when the country who toutes itself as one of the most technologically advanced country in the world routinely receives phones handicapped by carriers. Whether a tech-savvy person can "work around" the handicap isn't the point. Why?
I've been lusting after the DROID for several weeks now. I was going to cancel my AT&T countract, pay the ETF, and finally leave the pain that has been the iPhone. But now I'm not so sure. Perhaps I should wait for the HD2 and hope that whatever carrier has it will not make it anything less than the European version.
iDon't have multitouch.
iPhone DOES.
That... is called irony.
Oh well, all these smartphones always seem to miss something important - but no multitouch? That's sort of a major oversight. I was sort of intrigued by the DROID, too. *sigh*
Although with Verizon's new doubled ETF BS, I wouldn't consider buying a smartphone on their network for an instant. Damn shame. :-/
Did you not even read the article in which you replied? It most definitely does have multitouch support, it's just that the native stock Android apps don't have any gestures implemented in it. The on-screen keyboard does use multitouch though, so you can press more than one button at once without worrying about it not registering a letter. Other third-party software most definitely can include multitouch support and if you watched the video, it obviously works.
So. Did you miss the part where they used multitouch on the device without any hacks or anything?
Google has disabled wifi on native apps to keep the phone companies in business long enough to get subsidized handsets out to everyone. If they enabled google voice on Wifi the phone companies would be screwed.
Google has done the same thing with pinch and zoom in order to get Apple to approve the google voice app. Once a majority of people have android phones, and a majority of iphones have google voice, they will bring the hammer down hard.
Huh? What wifi-disabled native apps are you referring to?
Ha that would be funny if apple did try to sue over a word... being that Cisco tried to sue them for the iPhone and apple said it was silly to sue over a word.....
FYI, from an average consumer.
I've been waiting for the Droid as an alternative to the iPhone because Verizon is preferred. I found out it doesn't have pinch zoom on the BUILT IN browser, so I've changed my mind ... going with the iPhone unless it's rectified (or maybe it already has been?) within a week or so.
You may wonder why such a rash reaction. I'm reacting this way because as an average consumer waiting for something on Verizon to challenge the iPhone, this is just one small feature that will cause A LOT of other average consumers choose the iPhone. Which makes the Droid just another phone like the Storm ...