Well it was only a matter of time…..
Following Apples Keynote speech at the WWDC2001 on Monday it was inevitable that someone important from a rival would put fingers to keyboard and have a pop at Apple.
This is a result of lots of new features that Apple announced to be included in iOS 5, an awful lot of which look very similar to existing features being used by other phone operating systems- I think the word being banded about is ‘copied’ !
In this instance is is Joe Belfiore, Windows phone program director at Microsoft, tweeted about being ‘flattered’ at the features being added to iOS, and goes on to list how they are existing features in Windows phone 7 or already revealed for Windows 8.
Screen grab of twitter below:
Here are some of the features he mentions:
- Notifications. The new iOS system is very similar to both Android and WP7 with a notification at the top that can be dismissed easily.
- Ergonomic keyboard. The split keyboard is very similar to the one Microsoft revealed in Windows 8 and their original ‘origami’ tablet from 2001.
- Built in Twitter. Microsoft is supposed to be building twitter into ‘Mango’ for WP7.
- Wifi Sync. iOS 5 can sync wirelessly to mac or pc, WP7 can do this via it’s Zune client.
- Camera button. iOS5 can use the volume button to take a picture and has a lockscreen shortcut to the camera, both are part of WP7.
Now, some of those mentioned are stretching it a little, Mango isn’t out yet, neither is Windows 8 – I haven’t listed all the features mentioned for that reason – but he does have a point.
Will anyone else pipe up? Andy Rubin from Android or Mike Lazaridis from Rim/Blackberry ? Both have good reason to mention features on their OS’s that have been copied.
Personally I’m not a fan of Apple, but you cannot deny when Apple do something they do it well and force others to raise their game, so copied features or not it has to be good for us the customer in the long run.
My only issue with Apples new announcements is that some App makers will see a sudden drop in sales as Apple have effectively build a version of their app into the operating system of iOS5, inevitable I suppose but unfortunate for the makers of the affected Apps.
Source: Winrumors
erm the ergenomic keyboard was copied from microsofts first attempt at a tablet almost 10 years ago. Which im pretty sure they have a patent for, so no doubt apple will probably have to give them a few pence for every time its used.
Indeed, thanks for that, I’ve added it to the feature.
You can also use the volume button to take a picture within CM7’s settings 😉
Thanks a lot for authoring!
I am not sure about WP7 but deffinitely there is a strong element of Android in the announced features.
Yes there is, but so far I don’t believe anyone from Android or Google has commented so I can’t really run it as a story without sound like a fanboy!
Andy Rubin and company are too busy creating and adding new features to their open source OS than to point out how Apple is copying them.
lol… windows saying the camera button was copied from them….. duh…. all bloody camera phones since they were first invented have used a shutter button…… typical microshite
What apple have copied is the ability to quickly take a picture when the phone is locked – as in:- pick up phone (when locked, with a the screen off)
– Hold down camera button to power up into camera
– Point “camera” at subject and take photo/record video
Not aware of any other phone that does that… though there’s bound to have been one (-:
That Apple has conceded that you need a physical shutter button is interesting – that they promote this as shiny new innovative feature is depressingly apple.
….not a fan of Apple, but you cannot deny when Apple do “somethign”????…
As anal this might sound, but shammoan, spell check?
Ooops, not sure how that slipped through.
Perhaps MS should put some effort into, oh I don’t know MAYBE SYNCING OUTLOOK TO WINDOWS PHONE 7 – SPECIFICALLY “NOTES”, rather than slagging off Apple (who already to that – and it’s not even their product!)
This, after being with being with WinMo sync the SPV, is why I left. Is there even a proper sat nav yet? No.
Microsoft, as an MCSE I suggest sort out what your product DOESN’T do, rather than being sarcastic about what Apple does.