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Watch: Google Android running on the iPhone 3G

By | May 7, 2010, 11:29am PDT

Summary: A tech editor has been documenting weeks of work to port the full Google Android operating system to the Apple iPhone 3G.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the (im)perfect marriage of Apple and Google, here it is.

PCWorld’s David Wang has been documenting weeks of work to port the full Google Android operating system to the Apple iPhone 3G.

It’s been a slow and steady process, but he’s finally making headway.

In a video, Wang shows that he can connect to Wi-Fi, browse the web and send and receive SMS texts, as well as run Android Market apps that don’t require audio support.

Here’s a look:

Wang says that once he knocks out the audio hurdle, he’ll post binaries and instructions for warranty-breaking, intrepid coding-types to hack their iPhone into Android-y oblivion.

The point? Phones are more like computers than ever before — and that paves the way for the mobile industry to follow the path of the desktop one.

Palm’s webOS on the Nexus One, anyone?

[via Wired]

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Google Inc., Audio, Google Android, Smart Phones, Mobile Operating Systems, 3G, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Cellular Phones, Andrew Nusca

Andrew J. Nusca is editor of ZDNet and SmartPlanet.

Disclosure

Andrew Nusca

Andrew J. Nusca does not hold any investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Andrew Nusca

Editor

Andrew J. Nusca is an editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet. As a journalist based in New York City, he has written for Popular Mechanics and Men's Vogue and his byline has appeared in New York magazine, The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Editor & Publisher, New York Press and many others. He also writes The Editorialiste, a media criticism blog.

He is a New York University graduate and former news editor and columnist of the Washington Square News. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He has been named "Howard Kurtz, Jr." by film critic John Lichman despite having no relation to him. He lives in his native Philadelphia with his wife, cat and Boston Terrier.

Follow him on Twitter.

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the.ksmm 11th May 2010
@wackoae: I'm sure this process won't be for the faint-of-heart, so no doubt there will be some people who do it for bragging rights or "because they can."

But I suspect there are some people who have wished they could have one phone's hardware running a different phone's OS. I have a couple of friends who always get stymied by wanting a particular mobile OS on a particular network and in a particular form factor. It's a more difficult combination to achieve than you might think.

But mostly, geeks just like to play with their toys. happy
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RE: Seriously ... what's the point???
wackoae Updated - 8th May 2010
With the cost of all the time and effort he spent doing the experiment, he could had just purchase an Android phone and save money.

Same for anybody wanting to play with his binaries. Between the cost of the iPhone and all the work needed to get Android installed and running ..... what would be the point?? Bragging rights??
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Because they can.
People 8th May 2010
@wackoae
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Best of breed
the.ksmm 11th May 2010
@wackoae: I'm sure this process won't be for the faint-of-heart, so no doubt there will be some people who do it for bragging rights or "because they can."

But I suspect there are some people who have wished they could have one phone's hardware running a different phone's OS. I have a couple of friends who always get stymied by wanting a particular mobile OS on a particular network and in a particular form factor. It's a more difficult combination to achieve than you might think.

But mostly, geeks just like to play with their toys. happy

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