Google iPhone usage shocks search giant
Google on Wednesday said it has seen 50 times more search requests coming from Apple iPhones than any other mobile handset -- a revelation so astonishing that the company originally suspected it had made an error culling its own data.
"We thought it was a mistake and made our engineers check the logs again," Vic Gundotra, head of GoogleÂ?s mobile operations told the Financial Times during this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Should other companies follow in Apple's footsteps by making web access commonplace on their mobile handsets, Gundotra believes the number of mobile searches could outpace fixed internet search "within the next several years."
That of course means big increases in incremental advertising revenues for the Mountain View, Calif.-based search giant. Though Google's primary revenue driver remains online advertising, the company has never separated out its mobile revenues from those of traditional computer-based browsers.
Gundotra, however, told the Times that the mobile segment was growing Â?above expectationsÂ?, both in terms of usage and revenues.
"The world is changing. Users want an internet without fences. They know how to type in Google.com if they want to get to it," he said. "Two years ago the operators were still playing the role of gateÂ*keepers but that is no longer the role for them."
The mobile boss also reiterated a long-running company position on the mobile handset market, which is that Google is unlikely to build its own mobile hardware despite widespread speculation to the contrary.
"We want every phone to be a Google phone," he said. "We are ultimately talking about thousands of devices. The best way to do this would beÂ*to get GoogleÂ?s mobile operating system, Android, deployed on as many types of handsets as possible."
Google has the first Android-based mobile handsets from third-party manufacturers would begin shipping during the second half of 2008.
"We thought it was a mistake and made our engineers check the logs again," Vic Gundotra, head of GoogleÂ?s mobile operations told the Financial Times during this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Should other companies follow in Apple's footsteps by making web access commonplace on their mobile handsets, Gundotra believes the number of mobile searches could outpace fixed internet search "within the next several years."
That of course means big increases in incremental advertising revenues for the Mountain View, Calif.-based search giant. Though Google's primary revenue driver remains online advertising, the company has never separated out its mobile revenues from those of traditional computer-based browsers.
Gundotra, however, told the Times that the mobile segment was growing Â?above expectationsÂ?, both in terms of usage and revenues.
"The world is changing. Users want an internet without fences. They know how to type in Google.com if they want to get to it," he said. "Two years ago the operators were still playing the role of gateÂ*keepers but that is no longer the role for them."
The mobile boss also reiterated a long-running company position on the mobile handset market, which is that Google is unlikely to build its own mobile hardware despite widespread speculation to the contrary.
"We want every phone to be a Google phone," he said. "We are ultimately talking about thousands of devices. The best way to do this would beÂ*to get GoogleÂ?s mobile operating system, Android, deployed on as many types of handsets as possible."
Google has the first Android-based mobile handsets from third-party manufacturers would begin shipping during the second half of 2008.
Comments
I just had an argument with some cavemen last night (that's what i call non iphoners since they're living in the stone age.)
That's funny, I say the same thing!
I really like to make fun of the blackberry's trackwheel/ball.
Does that make me an apple elitist?
Websites properly tailored to mobile devices really need to be careful of putting in too many display ads. I have given up on AI for browsing from the iPhone, along with a few other of my "regular" sites.
Until the Touch came on the seen I had no thought to surf using an iPod. Recently while waiting for a flight out of Quito, Ecuador I used my Touch and Quito's FREE WI-WI (thank you Quito - wake up US airports!) to Google weather at Chicago O'Hare. A terrific feature and I didn't need any cumbersome laptop.
Websites properly tailored to mobile devices really need to be careful of putting in too many display ads. I have given up on AI for browsing from the iPhone, along with a few other of my "regular" sites.
It's ironic that the iPhone's ease of use, use of WebKit and large display allowed it view webpages on a phone without being altered, yet the popularity and convenience of using it has made many a site create special iPhone web portals?and now add WebClip icons?to their site for even easier use.
Say what you will about Apple decision about carrier lock in, the OS and UI are unparalleled and revolutionary. Even Android is using Mobile OS X as a template for it's design decisions.
PS: AI needs to get on the ball with an "optimized for iPhone" portal for the articles and forums, as well as a WebClip icon.
But it sounds like when companies create versions of Android on different hardware devices, with different screen sizes, processing power, storage, and especially means of interaction, the result will be that Android is NOT one single platform for software. Software written for one company's big touchscreen Android OS will not run on another company's compact joystick Android OS, etc.--or if software is made to run on multiple flavors, usability will suffer. Imagine putting iPhone's music/video player app on a machine with a small square screen and no touch. Imagine putting some trackball-based Windows Mobile app on an iPhone. The results of one app running on multiple Android platforms would not be consistent and easy to use--they would add software options, but not GOOD ones, the way it sounds. But I'd be interested in hearing about app--and UI--portability from those who followed Android in more depth than I have.
So I have high hopes but low expectations. Android would still be the basis for making/selling MORE than one version of an app, tailored for each Android OS and this being well integrated and easy to use. That beats having to port an app from one phone to another from scratch. But it's not the same as a single OS shared by multiple phones all running the same apps.
Even so, one or two custom Android flavors could take off. They may not be compatible with each other and share apps, but they could be good operating systems, built more quickly thanks to Android. We've seen what Apple has done based on their OS X. It will be interesting to see what others come up with based on Android. Whatever it is, it won't be Windows Mobile!
"We want every phone to be a Google phone," he said. "We are ultimately talking about thousands of devices. The best way to do this would be*to get Google?s mobile operating system, Android, deployed on as many types of handsets as possible."
Sounds a bit MS-ian, to me.
AI needs to get on the ball with an "optimized for iPhone" portal for the articles and forums, as well as a WebClip icon.
Excellent point. I hate to say this, but currently, AI sucks on the iPhone. (Example: If you want to get the comments/discussion up to a readable font size, you can't simultaeously see the name of the person commenting, since it is placed to the left. Relatedly, the story/comment column is too wide for the iPhone.)
Excellent point. I hate to say this, but currently, AI sucks on the iPhone. (Example: If you want to get the comments/discussion up to a readable font size, you can't simultaeously see the name of the person commenting, since it is placed to the left. Relatedly, the story/comment column is too wide for the iPhone.)
We hear you.
Best,
K
But then these are the same people who said the iMac would fail without a floppy drive and the MacBook Air will fail because it doesn't have firewire or ethernet or whatever. Don't you just love the poor, glass-is-half-empty crowd.
We hear you.
Best,
K
Thank you. Could we get a WebClip icon in place for good faith?
I'm just thinking of all the nay-sayers who said the iPhone would flop because it didn't have (insert favorite deal killing, show stopping, not gonna buy one until) feature. Seems LOTS of people are buying them.
Don't get too excited yet. While it's a good start, 4 million phones sold is peanuts in the cell phone biz. And with this success comes greater competition who may simply clone many of the iPhones features.
Plus look at Motorola, they once commanded the market, but fell asleep at the wheel.
Apple IMHO, needs to quickly bring in a lower cost model. Not dirt cheap, but a $299 model could do wonders if they want to hit 10M by years end.
Thank you. Could we get a WebClip icon in place for good faith?
They have one already.
You might need to "reclip".
They have one already.
You might need to "reclip".
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!
P.S. How many ads does a site need to flood open new browser views? I counted 8 since visiting the forum, before I made my post.
I have an interesting idea to solve this, but I'm not one to give technical solutions for free.
Apple IMHO, needs to quickly bring in a lower cost model. Not dirt cheap, but a $299 model could do wonders if they want to hit 10M by years end.
Steve... are you listening?... he's listening...
Don't get too excited yet. While it's a good start, 4 million phones sold is peanuts in the cell phone biz. And with this success comes greater competition who may simply clone many of the iPhones features.
Plus look at Motorola, they once commanded the market, but fell asleep at the wheel.
Apple IMHO, needs to quickly bring in a lower cost model. Not dirt cheap, but a $299 model could do wonders if they want to hit 10M by years end.
And you don't think they know this, people said the phone would fail because it has no GPS, 3G, and all that but we see how popular it has become and every phone wants to emulate, when Apple hits their target, people will start looking for new excuses to call it a failure.