iOS getting Google Now like experience [Updated with video]

batting1000 · Aug 8, 2012

Looks like Google will be updating the iOS Google Search app to make it more like Google now and have it read back answers etc. Check it out and post your thoughts.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/8/32...-for-ipad-and-iphone-adds-voice-based-answers

Here's Google's promo for it:

nikster0029 · Aug 8, 2012

I know a lot of people say that this was a move to keep buisness going for google, but I think google now would have been a great advertised feature for android devices only. I know a lot of revenue comes from iOS devices, but this is something I am very weary of what google is doing with.

sakau2007 · Aug 8, 2012

batting1000 said:
Looks like Google will be updating the iOS Google Search app to make it more like Google now and have it read back answers etc. Check it out and post your thoughts.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/8/32...-for-ipad-and-iphone-adds-voice-based-answers

Will it provide the same functionality on some Android devices?

(ie... tell me to leave early for an event on my calendar that I think is 10 minutes away but is actually 25 minutes away due to heavy traffic)

batting1000 · Aug 8, 2012

sakau2007 said:
Will it provide the same functionality on some Android devices?

(ie... tell me to leave early for an event on my calendar that I think is 10 minutes away but is actually 25 minutes away due to heavy traffic)

No, but it'll read out answers and such like Now does. The core functionality is there.

ChazUK · Aug 8, 2012

Any improvements to Google services on iOS is welcomed in my eyes, especially as I use so much of their stuff. Good to see this coming to the platform.

Edit: the video looks fantastic. They should have asked about Stallions though.

batting1000 · Aug 8, 2012

ChazUK said:
Any improvements to Google services on iOS is welcomed in my eyes, especially as I use so much of their stuff. Good to see this coming to the platform.

Edit: the video looks fantastic. They should have asked about Stallions though.

I look forward to using it. It'll be better with it responding to you, using the Knowledge Graph, and it looks pretty fast too.

ChazUK · Aug 8, 2012

batting1000 said:
I look forward to using it. It'll be better with it responding to you, using the Knowledge Graph, and it looks pretty fast too.

I'll be giving it a whirl on the iPad too. Looks great.

I hope they don't limit it to US only first of all though!

batting1000 · Aug 8, 2012

ChazUK said:
I'll be giving it a whirl on the iPad too. Looks great.

I hope they don't limit it to US only first of all though!

This page says it is but I'm not sure if that only applies to Voice Search on the desktop.

EDIT: Just kidding, it's talking about the language, not country.

fox10078 · Aug 8, 2012

batting1000 said:
No, but it'll read out answers and such like Now does. The core functionality is there.

No the core is the NOW function of NOW, voice search is not the core of Google now.

Dontazemebro · Aug 8, 2012

I'm surprised apple approved this since it's a direct competitor with siri. Hopefully it's compatible with older models like the iPhone 4.

batting1000 · Aug 8, 2012

fox10078 said:
No the core is the NOW function of NOW, voice search is not the core of Google now.

Google Now is based around the updated Google search.

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Dontazemebro said:
I'm surprised apple approved this since it's a direct competitor with siri. Hopefully it's compatible with older models like the iPhone 4.

It does nothing different than the current version. All it does is perform a Google search a reads the answer back. It'll be available on any device running 4.2 and higher.

fox10078 · Aug 8, 2012

batting1000 said:
Google Now is based around the updated Google search.

Yes, but it does it without any input, that's the core feature of google now is you don't have to do anything for it to work. Google voice search isn't anything like that.

Quotenfrau · Aug 11, 2012

does Google Now only understand English? I tried with German, but zero Matches.

Sensamic · Aug 11, 2012

I think it's great news. Like I always say, I want the best features available on every platform.

Still very surprised Google did this. But awesome for us the users.

revelated · Aug 11, 2012

Let them do Enhanced Voice Search (which is SEPARATE from Google Now, BTW).

Google is setting the stage for showing why Siri is inferior.

If anything, this will just cause Apple to do what it always does...sue.

jeffe · Aug 11, 2012

This is not google now, it is voice search.

I'm not going to say names but I think it should be noted that many of the same people who said the new voice search from google was no big deal are now excited for it since it is also to be on iOS. It is unfortunate that this seems to be a common theme.

Vegastouch · Aug 11, 2012

jeffe said:
This is not google now, it is voice search.

I'm not going to say names but I think it should be noted that many of the same people who said the new voice search from google was no big deal are now excited for it since it is also to be on iOS. It is unfortunate that this seems to be a common theme.

You noticed that too?..lol. However, in that link it says it is Google Search, not Google now. It will not be the card based service of Google Now but ti still looks fast an usefull but also hasnt been approved by Apple to be available to users in their App store.

jeffe · Aug 11, 2012

Vegastouch said:
You noticed that too?..lol. However, in that link it says it is Google Search, not Google now. It will not be the card based service of Google Now but ti still looks fast an usefull but also hasnt been approved by Apple to be available to users in their App store.

oh it is a definite improvement over the prior app- We knew it and I'm glad that some iOS users are no longer blind to that as well. It might not be a huge game changer but these small steps will add up to something big. Anyways, I'm going laugh if Apple rejects it from the app store.

Technarchy · Aug 11, 2012

Dontazemebro said:
I'm surprised apple approved this since it's a direct competitor with siri.

No, it isn't for several different reasons.

sazivad · Aug 12, 2012

nikster0029 said:
I know a lot of people say that this was a move to keep buisness going for google, but I think google now would have been a great advertised feature for android devices only. I know a lot of revenue comes from iOS devices, but this is something I am very weary of what google is doing with.

It's really difficult to compete with yourself. Remember when Apple licensed Mac OS to other hardware companies? Instead of boosting software sales and revenue, it just started eating into their already meager hardware sales.

Not saying that Google has meager hardware sales (quite the opposite, actually), but when you are a a company with divisions that are both expected to provide for everyone (Search, Maps, YouTube, etc.) and expected to be fairly proprietary (Android), you have to make sacrifices.

jeffe · Aug 12, 2012

sazivad said:
It's really difficult to compete with yourself. Remember when Apple licensed Mac OS to other hardware companies? Instead of boosting software sales and revenue, it just started eating into their already meager hardware sales.

Not saying that Google has meager hardware sales (quite the opposite, actually), but when you are a a company with divisions that are both expected to provide for everyone (Search, Maps, YouTube, etc.) and expected to be fairly proprietary (Android), you have to make sacrifices.

Google is not about restricting choices. It wants to be used whether you are on iOS device, or whether you are on Android device and it profits with both. The more you use google, the easier it is to use Android as well.

Google voice search is just being updated. Google now is nowhere to be seen on the device and I'd be surprised if it ever makes it that far.

SlCKB0Y · Aug 14, 2012

jeffe said:
This is not google now, it is voice search.

I'm not going to say names but I think it should be noted that many of the same people who said the new voice search from google was no big deal are now excited for it since it is also to be on iOS. It is unfortunate that this seems to be a common theme.

Yep, that would be the same people who peed in their pants with excitement when Siri came out and said Google Voice Search was no big deal. Even though every objective test done has shown that Googles product is faster, much more accurate and has a significantly more natural sounding voice.

iOS getting Google Now like experience [Updated with video]

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