iPhone 5 Release Date: Why Google Has Not Lost the Tech War to Apple

The technology wars have begun. Apple may finally be making moves to destroy Android, which the late Steve Jobs vowed to do during his time with Apple. A U.S. jury has ordered Samsung to pay over $1 billion for infringing Apple’s software and design innovations for the iPhone.

There are a few features that Apple is focusing on, like the pinch-to-zoom, the tap-to-zoom, and the bounce-back features, which do really resemble iOS features. Apple v. Samsung also included some hardware and tablet similarities, which will be discussed further during the court hearings to come.

This is a huge blow for Samsung. Although they plan on appealing the ruling, the effects of this case can already be seen in their stocks, which fell 7.5% earlier this week. Apple is seeking to get a ban on 21 devices that include products like the Epic 4G, Galaxy S, and the Vibrant. However, the final decision for this will be set during a hearing on September 20th.

While this court decision does not directly affect Google, as the violations in question “don’t relate to the core Android operating system,” it is certainly a first step in trying to take down the competitor. By forcing Samsung to change its hardware, it also changes how they use Google’s Android system.

Google shouldn’t be worried though. Although this has the potential to really change the hardware that runs its system, they will still come out of this all right. Google could even potentially countersue Apple for some of the new apps that Apple will be released on the iOS 6, like their own version of Maps. There will surely be some grounds for infringement there because they can’t claim to be starting form scratch. They will overlap on some level with Google Maps.

And there will surely be more to come as these two giants battle it out. The fight is just starting though, so be prepared to see changes to Android in the near future.