[NewsPoster]

Google's Android chief Sundar Pichai is keen to try out the iOS 7 beta, according to a recent tweet. "Excited to try out iOS7 beta, guess I need to register as a developer first:)" posted Pichai. While the redesign has seemingly polarized opinion around the blogosphere, it is unusual for a competitor to publicly express their interest in trying out the latest product to come from Apple; especially when the Cupertino giant just announced that it has dropped Google as the default search provider for Siri in favor of Microsoft's Bing.

As we have highlighted in our first look at the iOS 7 beta, the Jony Ive-inspired mobile operating system is offers a complete, end-to-end, revamp of Apple's six-year old iOS software. While its design aesthetic will prompt much debate, there is little question that it has generated a lot of interest among tech aficionados. If Pichai genuinely loves technology, as one would expect, he like most tech lovers is keen to have a play with the latest high profile mobile software launch. Especially as it is the first major product departure for Apple since the death of its co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs. [via Ubergizmo]

[kerryb]

iOS 7 look and feel coming to an Android phone near you soon.

[[email protected]]

Of course he is interested in trying out the iOS7 beta.

After all it takes time to copy something good and screw it up.

[lkrupp]

Hit google where its hurts the most. Get rid of the Google apps that generate the most ad money. At its core Google is an advertising company that uses technology to sell ads.

[coffeetime]

I bet Samsung is already way ahead of the game........developing a fake "iOS 7"ish skin, slapping over their Android phones, and then sue Apple for copyright infringement.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by lkrupp 

Hit google where its hurts the most. Get rid of the Google apps that generate the most ad money. At its core Google is an advertising company that uses technology to sell ads.

Oddly, Apple's removal of the default YouTube app just made Google a couple hundred million dollars, since their own app supports ads, which Apple's didn't.

[shawnde]

@Spheric

Apple didn't have a choice in the matter ... their 5-year contract was up, and Google would renew ONLY on the condition that Apple allow ads. Apple declined and removed the app, so Google had to roll their own. This was also the case with Maps.

In the case of search its a bit more subtle, because results can be interpreted through Siri, and the user may or may not care "where" the results came through .... but I'm sure Bing still has a long way to go against google for search relevance and accuracy. We'll have to wait and see.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by shawnde 

@Spheric

Apple didn't have a choice in the matter ... their 5-year contract was up, and Google would renew ONLY on the condition that Apple allow ads. Apple declined and removed the app, so Google had to roll their own. This was also the case with Maps.

Yes, I'm aware of that (though rumor has it that Maps also involved user profiling that Apple wasn't willing to pass on).

I was contesting lkrupp's assertion that getting rid of Google apps is necessarily "hitting Google where it hurts the most" — in the case of Youtube, the new arrangement helped Google quite a bit.

[nycnikato]

He wants to try it to see how best he can steal the design. No respect for Google.