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Motorola Explains Why Droid Doesn't Have Multi-Touch

One of the minor complaints that some have voiced against the Motorola Droid is that it isn't capable of performing multi-touch gestures, such as pinching to zoom. That complaint only applies to the U.S. version of the phone, though, as the Droid will support multi-touch in European markets.

I don't blame U.S. customers for crying foul on this one. The Android platform is capable of supporting multi-touch gestures. The concept of multi-touch as a way to interact with electronics was made famous by the Apple iPhone. The iPhone has all sorts of touch gestures that make interacting with the phone more fun.

Unfortunately, the Motorola Droid as sold by Verizon Wireless doesn't support multi-touch.

Motorola is selling the Droid over in Europe as the Milestone. The Milestone does support multi-touch. Uh, what gives here?

When pinged for an explanation, Motorola said:

In response to your question regarding differences between MILESTONE and DROID, we work very closely with our carriers and partners to deliver differentiated consumer experiences on our mobile devices. At times, similar devices come to market with different features, depending on the region, carrier preferences and consumer needs.

The lack of multi-touch on the Droid is actually a hindrance when it comes to browsing. The Android browser isn't as smart as the iPhone's at zooming in to the exact right section of a web site when double-tapped. With the iPhone, you can also fine-tune where you zoom in and out to. No such luck on the Droid. Users will be confined to double-tapping to zoom in or out. There is also an on-screen software zoom tool, but it's a little cumbersome to use if you ask me.

In the end, it is the customers who lose here, not Motorola or Verizon Wireless.

[via Gearlog]

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