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iPhone OS 4: Google branding removed in Safari search

by Michael Grothaus Apr 10th 2010 at 11:00AM


iLounge has pointed out that the "Google" branded search button in mobile Safari has been renamed "Search" in iPhone OS 4. Is this a sign that Apple is about to dump Google from mobile search? Despite their increasing competition, it's highly unlikely that Apple will entirely eliminate Google from mobile Safari search. Google is still the world's number one search engine by a wide margin; eliminating it from Safari's search function would alienate a lot of users.

So what could the "Google"/"Search" switch mean? Most likely it's that iPhone OS 4 will have search engine options in addition to Google and Yahoo! (like Bing), and Apple wants to have a universal button that reads "search" no matter what engine the user chooses to use. Other possibilities could be that Apple and Google have not agreed on a financial arrangements for Google to be the default search in OS 4 yet and they want Google to know that they'll give default search to the highest bidder.

Of course, there's always another possibility: Apple is launching its own search engine. Sounds like a long shot? Maybe it is, then again who would have ever thought Apple would one day be in the mobile advertising market? Personally, I wouldn't hold my breath for Apple search this year. Apple does a lot of things better that Google (and other competitors), but when it comes to search, Google is still king.

[image via MacRumors]

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iLounge has pointed out that the "Google" branded search button in mobile Safari has been renamed "Search" in iPhone OS 4. Is this a sign...
 

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33 Comments

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Jason

This post is a bit stupid.

Played with an iPad yet, Michael. You can set your search provider as Google or Yahoo.

Genericizing the button to "Search" makes a hell of a lot of sense when an option is there.

This isn't "Let's kill Google", this is "we have an option, let's represent it as such".

April 12 2010 at 11:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Matthew

Guys how do you get the percentage label next to the battery symbol on the iPhone. I have a 3G, but i doubt that will make any difference.

Thank you

April 11 2010 at 7:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ben

Strange, the Google branding is still on OS4 safari.

April 10 2010 at 8:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ben

Strange, the Google branding is still on OS4 safari.

April 10 2010 at 8:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
john russell

My button now says "Topeka".

April 10 2010 at 6:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rego

@Shunnabunich

"And whatever else they are, they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are not an internet company."

I guess it depends on the definition of internet company. I would say that with a 100 million web based iTunes members and with billions of over the web downloads some would consider them to also be an internet company.

April 10 2010 at 3:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Rego's comment
Camperton

Yeah but iDisk stills sucks.

April 10 2010 at 6:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jollyllama

An Apple search engine? Gah... Say it together with me kids: Apple is a hardware company. Apple is a hardware company. Apple is a hardware company.

April 10 2010 at 1:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to jollyllama's comment
Montana Leet

Apple is a software company.

April 10 2010 at 2:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shunnabunich

And whatever else they are, they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are not an internet company.

April 10 2010 at 2:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CHRiS

This isn't any of the guesses, the reason it says "Search" rather than "Google" is the same reason it doesn't say "Yahoo" - the search can be changed now to either Google or Yahoo - so they made the button ambiguous.

April 10 2010 at 1:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
AppleZilla

Good. Google can do their own advertising.

April 10 2010 at 12:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Carter Allen

I'd say you're reading too much into this.

a.) It makes the interface more intuitive. Search is a more intuitive verb to use, as everyone is not using Google on their own computers.

b.) It is a beta release of the software. Google may have simply not approved the use of their name in pre-release software, as it may contain bugs and the like.

Stop reading into these minor changes so much. They're really not worth a post.

April 10 2010 at 12:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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