Apple Wants to Replace, Not Compete, in Search

Apple CEO Steve Jobs says his company will not take on Google in the search business. That's a bit of legalese, one might argue. Apple does not so much want to compete in search as to make it irrelevant in a mobile context.

"Competing" implies one wishes to win something. "Displacing and replacing " is more like what Apple wants to do.

Many of Apple’s 200,000 app downloads, for example, are simply shortcuts to the web which eliminates the need for Google’s search functions.

Apple already competes against Google in the mobile phone, mobile advertising and operating systems areas, and soon there will be competition from Google in the music and mobile apps arenas as well.

Apple Says It Will Not Take On Google In Search, But It Already Has – 24/7 Wall St.

Google Indexes Mobile Apps

Sometimes, when you use a smartphone, the best search result is not a web page, it's an application.

That's probably the reason why Google added an OneBox for iPhone and Android apps. If you enter a query that includes keywords like 'download', 'application' or 'app' on an iPhone or on an Android phone, you'll see a list of results from Apple's App Store or from the Android Market. link

As of today, if you go to Google.com on your iPhone or Android-powered device and search for an app, we’ll show special links and content at the top of the search results.

You can tap these links to go directly to the app’s Android Market or iPhone App Store page. You can also get a quick look at some of the app’s basic details including the price, rating, and publisher. These results will appear when your search pertains to a mobile application and relevant, well-rated apps are found.

Google Indexes Mobile Apps

Facebook, Music, Navigation, News Top Smartphone Apps

Though there are some differences by smartphone platform, users tend to use social networking, especially Facebook, listen to music and navigate and search for places on their smartphones most frequently.

(click on the image for a larger view; you might have to click to toggle views onthe new page)

They also seem to use the Weather Channel app frequently, and access news as well.

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Steve Jobs Talks about Why It Created the iPhone

Steve Jobs talks about the iPhone and why Apple wanted to create it.

Steve Jobs on Apple's iAd Network

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Steve Jobs on Where Apple is Going

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, expounding on a number of subjects at "All Things Digital." Jobs says Apple is not interested in search or TV. But Apple also said it was not interested in phones. I seem to recall that Apple wasn't all that hot on tablets, either.