Google Voice Search App Hits iPhone
Google made it clear that its mobile app -- a voice search application -- would be available on Friday but then entered Apple app store purgatory as the Jobs crew didn't post the app to the store. If nothing else, it proves that third party applications -- even those developed by companies like Google -- are submitted to the vetting process Apple has in place.
It'd be pure speculation to say that Apple was making a point by delaying the role out of voice search on its iPhone, but it does make you wonder.
The Google Mobile App is designed to work just like the traditional search engine, accept rather than typing a query on the iPhone, users wait for a beep, speak their search term and then view the results on the iPhone.
The voice query is received by Google's search servers, the spoken words are translated into words and then entered into the search engine. Additionally, the mobile voice application is tied into all things Google, including Gmail, Google Maps and Google Maps, for example.
When paired with the location aware capabilities of the iPhone, voice search becomes even more powerful. If you're walking around Manhattan looking for a restaurant a user can speak a query for a type of restaurant, say Thai, and have the results plotted on a Google map directly onto the iPhone. That gives location aware users the power to see what's close and matches the search term before choosing where to dine.
It's interesting that Google chose to roll the Mobile application out onto the iPhone first instead of the G1 with the Android operating system. It seems likely that Google made the choice in order to give the application more exposure to a wider base of users in order gauge feedback.
Currently, voice search only functions in English, but Google may expand into other languages depending on the popularity of the iPhone application.