Google Now Arrives on iPhone and iPad; Siri Says 'You're Kidding, Right?' [Videos]
Google services are slowly getting inside the flagship devices of Apple and these are acting more Android than before. One of the core part of the Android OS, Google Now comes to the iOS ecosystem and acts as an alternative for Siri.
Google made another move crawling inside to non-Android devices and a strategy eschewing Apple which was known for closed-system, using iOS applications only.
"For Google, consumer electronics is a means to an end," said by Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Weiser quoted by Financial Post.
The Google Now is only one of many Google services you can download from Google Play Store and Apple iStore together with Gmail, Google Maps and Google Chrome Browser. According to a survey by Yankee Group conducted over 12 months, 6 per cent of 16,000 smartphone owners are iPhone users and expected to switch to Android on the next six months.
Similar to Siri, Google Now answers queries, suggest information over the Web through Google Search and display cards containing details about several topics online.
"Today, with the launch of Google Now on iPhone and iPad, your smartphone will become even smarter. Google Now for iPhone and iPad is available as part of the updated Google Search app. Together, Google Now and voice search will make your day run a little smoother," written blog post from one of the Google engineers, Andrea Huey.
So what makes Google Now and Siri different?
Google Now understands request better compared to Siri and relies on Web results via Google Search displaying all contents linking to that voice request. Siri on the other hand, can access phone functions such as email, calendar events and navigation aside from answering queries online. Siri is much more dynamic when it comes to communication and reaction but 'she' was made earlier than Google Now.
Google's vice president of Search and Assist for Mobile described Google Now as the next phase of the search evolution and designed to answer without making the user type his or her queries.
However, there is one thing both these apps are having problems worldwide and it is the issue understanding accents from speakers of other countries such as India, Japan or Korea.
Apple begins to embrace services from its archrival Google and possibly may affect long-term iOS ecosystem in the future. Apple recently brought back Google Maps which the company eliminated before due to numerous embarrassing errors on their iMaps app. The iOS ecosystem also accepted Gmail and Google Chrome as downloadable apps from their iStore.