Smartphone Thoughts: Apple Bullying Google on the Playground?

"It's hard to imagine anyone being able to bully Google into submission, but according to Venture Beat, that's exactly what Apple did. The report claims Apple encouraged Google not to use multi-touch technology in the Android-based G1 mobile phone, and Google agreed, Venture Beat says citing an un-named Android team member as the source."

I was really hoping to avoid this story but it seems no matter where I turn everyone appears to be talking about it! Whether or not there is any merit to this story, which appears to be up in the air at the moment, I just do not see the big deal over Google not including multi-touch at Apple's request. Apple after all has filed for a patent involving multi-touch technology, something I am sure Google was aware of. As for the other ridiculous claims that Apple requested HTC to not include a 3.5mm port on the handset... well the only thing I can add to that is that these rumors were probably started by someone that hasn't used too many HTC handsets. I cannot think of any HTC handset, minus the Touch HD, that has ever come with its own 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. Honestly to me this entire story just screams "slow news day," but I would love to hear what everyone who visits our site thinks of this recent FUD. Is it really a big deal that Google might have axed features at Apple's request?