Google Android: Hmm, Where Have I Seen This Before?

With the recent announcement and demo of the Google Android Phone, one thing is for sure. Google took a trick or two from their neighbors in Cupertino. The Phone features a touch screen, and the most striking similarity is the home screen, shown in the picture above. Most of the apps seen on the current home screen are givens for any smartphone, but the Market app is an app store much like the one that will be in iPhone 2.0 software. Project leader Andy Rubin comments on the ability for developers to upload to the store (certified or not, unlike the iPhone) and be sold for a price:

“It would be a great benefit to the Android community to provide a place where people can go to safely and securely download content and where a billing system would allow developers to get paid for their effort. We wouldn’t have done our job if we didn’t provide something that helps developers get distribution.”

Other notable similarities include swiping across the home screen to access more content and accelerometers. Although the Android uses a similar “slide to unlock” feature, Google’s version presents the user with a 3×3 grid of dots that must be connected in the correct sequence for the device to become usable.

Although Google will not manufacture the devices themselves, they will have full control over the OS.