Apple is upstaging Google at search (and phasing them out in the process)
One of the highlights in Apple's latest WWDC was the new Spotlight. Now, Apple has had spotlight integrated into iOS and OS X for some time now, but the difference now is that they are putting it at the front and integrating it into all their apps. They are also making it really simple to use on a system wide manner.
The boom of Spotlight is that is searches for everything both on your computer and the web with a single query. Not only that, but it returns actual objects (like a movie, person, wikipedia article, etc) as opposed to a list of links or keyword suggestions.
Be it on Android or Chrome/ChromeOS...Google really has nothing comparable. The "universal" search in Google Now is incredibly limited. Sure it shows you apps in your device as well as contacts and bookmarks and is good to make Google.com searches (yet it only gives you a list of suggestions, not a list of actual objects), but it apparently has no clue about my emails on Gmail, documents on Drive, Music on Google Play, Events in Calendar, Notes on Keep, directions in Map or chats in Hangouts.
Considering that all this information is in Google's servers and liked to the same Google account, it makes no sense for Google to not return this on the universal search results of Google Now.
Sure, you cry all you want that Google gives better results than Bing and what not, but that is hardly relevant and Bing only needs to be good enough. What matter is that Apple is providing a better and more roboust search experience than Google.
As for the other point, Apple phasing them out by undercutting Google Search with their recent software announcements. Not only are they using Bing for Spotlight and Siri, they are putting themselves between the search query and Google by providing spotlight results and showing them before the Google search suggestions; leaving Google as a last option of sorts. They are also pushing for DuckDuck Go as an alternative search engine to Google, touting privacy and the fact that it doesn't tracks you (a clear jab at Google).
In any case, Google better step up and show something significant at this year's I/O; the ball is on their court.
Comments
Let see how attractive the idevices are without youtube Gmail map etc.
Why would Google cut off a revenue stream? Just to piss off Apple? Google is a horizontal operator, they benefit from being on every device they can be.
But I rather enjoy my iPhone that has none of those apps installed. I don't have any particular issue with Google or those apps, I just have no need for them.
Besides, all those services are available over the web if required.