Google Nexus One Now Has Multi-Touch
Google’s Nexus One will now have the much requested feature – multi-touch. Google has released an over-the-air update today which will be pushed out to all of the Nexus One devices to enable the multi-touch (pinch-to-zoom functionality) functionality. According to the Google blog post the update also includes a few other fixes and updates including Google Goggles, Google Maps, and 3G connectivity.
More detailed information about the update (from the Google blog post):
Google Goggles: this mobile application will now be available directly on your device by launching it from your All Apps menu. Just use your Nexus One camera to start searching the web
Google Maps: the Maps application with be updated to a new version, Google Maps 3.4, which will include:
- Starred items synchronized with maps.google.com – access your favorite places from your phone or computer
- Search suggestions from your personal maps.google.com history – makes it easy to search for places you’ve searched for before
- Night mode in Google Maps Navigation – automatically changes your screen at night for easier viewing and driving
- Pinch-to-zoom functionality: devices will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications
3G connectivity: we will provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phones
It is also important to note that since the update is over-the-air you may not receive it today. Google notes it may take until the end of the week for everyone to get it.
How will you know when you can download the update? You will receive a message on your phone’s notification bar. Just download the update, wait for it to install, and you should be all set.
One of the major benefits of the iPhone is that you are able to immediately download and install the update without having to wait (an update for the iPhone OS was also released today). It is also worth mentioning that with the iPhone and the iPhone OS you know unless you have the original iPhone (currently) you can expect all of the updates and features of the new iPhone OS. While with the Android platform since there are so many different phones running the OS, not everyone has access to new functionality whether it’s due to the devices physical limitations or the manufacturer putting up the road block.
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