Apple wins Chinese iPhone trademark, Google Nexus One compared

Apple has obtained the trademark for "i-phone" from a Chinese company that applied for ownership of the name in 2004, and a hands-on with Google's Nexus One phone concludes it isn't an "iPhone killer."

Apple obtains Chinese iPhone trademark

Hanwang Technology, a Chinese company that makes e-readers, applied for the trademark for "i-phone" in 2004. The i-phone was a handset the company no longer sells.

According to IDG News Service, the new owner of the trademark application has changed to Apple. A Hangwang official reportedly said that the Chinese company reached an agreement with Apple over the trademark to the iPhone name. Details of the agreement were not provided.

When China Unicom launched the iPhone last October, it was said the similarity between the i-phone and iPhone names could have made the sale of Apple's handset illegal.

Though Apple only sold 5,000 iPhones at launch with China Unicom, sales continued at a steady pace through the end of the year. In early December, it was revealed that Apple had sold 100,000 handsets in the nation of over 1 billion. It is believed that gray market sales far exceed those numbers, however.

Google Nexus One compared to iPhone

Engadget got its hands on Google's forthcoming Nexus One handset, which runs the Android mobile operating system and is expected to be available through carrier T-Mobile very soon. The HTC-built device has a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 3.7-inch display, 512MB of ROM and 512MB of RAM.

Joshua Topolsky said the phone is a little thinner than the iPhone and feels good in the hand, but aside from its superior design and form factor, it is not significantly different from the Motorola Droid. The improved user interface was also welcomed.

"Throughout the phone there are also new animations and flourishes which make Android 2.1 feel way more polished than previous iterations (including the Droid's 2.0.1), though it's still got a ways to go to matching something like the iPhone or even Pre in terms of fit and finish," Topolsky said. "Regardless, it's clear Google has started thinking about not just function but form as well, and that's very good news for Android aficionados."

The review was not as favorable as an earlier comparison that said the Nexus One might be more of a "Droid killer" than an "iPhone killer." Google has planned a special event to formally announce the Nexus One Tuesday morning. The GSM-based handset will reportedly be sold direct from Google for $530 unlocked, or $180 under contract with T-Mobile.