GSM DROID with multitouch pinch-to-zoom demoed on video hating America

The GSM flavor of Motorola's DROID, or Milestone as it will be known in Europe, has multitouch built-in to the UI. For reasons we can only assume have something to do with an unspoken intellectual property agreement between Google and Apple, the US version of the user interface lacks multi-touch features like pinch-to-zoom even though the underlying 2.0 OS supports multitouch events. However, the video of a GSM DROID headed to Europe clearly shows this feature at the 3 minute mark. No really, see for yourselves after the break.

[iDavey Posted Nov 2nd 2009 8:46AM]

I couldn't stomach looking at this vid review. It seemed as if the man didn't even know how to operate a phone!
Double tapping to select something. Trying to pinch zoom with the side of this fingernail. ugh...

Yet I digress...

I'm glad this is shown though, so the "iDont do pinch zoom" yellers can finally hush.
I'm sure someone already has the hack working for the US, lol.

[soccersgreat Posted Nov 2nd 2009 5:29PM]

even microsoft is doing it with the zune

[Darwin Posted Nov 2nd 2009 9:18AM]

"For reasons we can only assume have something to do with an unspoken intellectual property agreement between Google and Apple,"

Thats an idiotic reason. You can only assume? Really? Thats all you can come up with?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 9:08AM]

I bet it's because that crazy patent system of yours: Apple couldn't possibly sue Motorola in Europe over a software patent (the pinch to zoom feature) because those don't exist in Europe (yet)

[Clatu6 Posted Nov 2nd 2009 9:08AM]

Lame...

Demos of mutitouch using that motion predate anything apple was doing. The fact that you only use one hand to do it is not patentable.

Google has nothing to fear from Apple.

[iDavey Posted Nov 2nd 2009 9:26AM]

I'm still trying to get why Palm is doing it...but yet everyone else is so scared. Even Microsoft has it in their Surface.
Hell, I'm sure Google has more money to throw around than Palm.

[ByteforByte Posted Nov 2nd 2009 11:13AM]

Hopefully this means there will be some kind of hack to unlock multitouch on the droid in the USA.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 10:00AM]

this pisses me off

[twophoton Posted Nov 2nd 2009 12:02PM]

I can think of something Apple will want from Google that can be a bargaining chip to get multi-touch on Android. It's called FREE TURN-BY-TURN VOICE NAVIGATION. Apple, you want it? Better give up the multi-touch.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 12:22PM]

Am I the only one who finds the user interface of this thing so confusing?

[soccersgreat Posted Nov 2nd 2009 5:29PM]

Yes

[nihaoyao Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:15PM]

i don't get what the big deal is with pinch to zoom? it's a horrible UI implementation for a mobile device. cell phones should be designed with one handed use in mind. using a non-intuitive method that usually need two hands to operate is not good design.

[kyphem Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:21PM]

WRONG. I always use 1 hand to pinch and zoom ALWAYS. Its very easy.

[nihaoyao Posted Nov 2nd 2009 4:05PM]

i'm sorry, but you're wrong. i've tried it and done it plenty of times and it sucks.

just because you can drive while talking on the phone or steer with your knees doesn't mean that it's a good solution. this is a poor design decision.

[kyphem Posted Nov 2nd 2009 1:20PM]

+1 for ShayCarl. The phone suck though... scrolling is not smooth enough.

[kyphem Posted Nov 2nd 2009 8:45PM]

I heard the same said about Palm Pre where is that phone now?