Spotlight: Google Mobile App
Sunday, January 4th, 2009
We all know Google – we use it everyday for maps, Gmail, YouTube, Picasa, and even as a search engine, but what about the Google Mobile App for the iPhone? Does it live up to the Google name?
In a word – No.
Oh it has web searches down pat. It even does voice-recognition for nearby searches fairly well. That’s all fine and dandy, but what about the Google “Apps” portion of the mobile software? Even though Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and more are all listed, they are actually just links to Google’s website. That’s right Mobile Safari is really handling all these Google “Apps.”
And some of them are pretty much useless too. Here’s why:
Gmail – add Gmail right to the mail app on your iPhone; there is no need to use the web version.
Calendar – you can only see one day at a time – no full month view for you.
Docs – sure, they’re viewable, but not editable.
Maps – are you kidding me? There is a Google Maps app built in.
YouTube – are you seeing a pattern?
I know Google is a Web-based product, but at least make it useful.
The Google Mobile App is separated into 3 sections: Search, Apps, and Settings. The Search section is pretty self-explanatory. There is a search box at the top that allows for text input. Planted on the left-side of that box is a spotlight icon that acts as a drop-down menu and allows the user to choose from these items: iPhone & Web, maps, images, news, shopping or Wikipedia. To the right of the search box is a button with a microphone icon. This allows the user to speak queries into the microphone rather than type them. What’s even cooler is that the Google Mobile App uses the iPhone’s proximity sensor. This senses that the phone is up to your cheek and shuts off the screen so nothing is pressed accidentally. Funny thing is: use of this sensor is supposed to be on Apple’s “no-no” list. I guess it pays to be Google.
The Apps section includes all of Google’s popular web apps. In addition to those listed above, it includes Talk, Reader, GOOG-411, News, Notebook, orkut, Translate, Earth and Blogger.
The third section is for settings. It allows preference changes for search, start screen and screen rotation. Normally, this would be rather lackluster and forgettable, but alas there is an Easter Egg. On the Settings screen, scroll down past ‘About.’ Try scrolling quickly – like you’re trying to get a half-page of extra screen from the bottom – and Voilà! You have an extra secret setting: ‘Bells and Whistles.’ Under this selection, the user may change the theme color, change the default sound to either ‘chicken or monkey’, or turn on ‘Live Waveform’ or ‘Open Links in App.’ Changing the theme color is fun because it opens up a color well for specific color choice. Neither of the new sound options are inviting or interesting. Who cares if you can see the ‘Live Waveform’ when you speak – you are busy speaking anyway. “Open Links in App’ only refers to searches – a nice feature nonetheless.
Overall the Google Mobile App is just a shortcut to their suite of web applications. The good thing is that it’s free, but the bad thing is that we have come to expect a lot more from Google. Check it out here.
Version 0.3.114 reviewed
For voice searches iPod Touch 2nd Gen required (with external microphone)
Price: Free
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I tried this a few months ago on my iPod Touch and have not used it since. Like you I found that my most commonly used applications; email, maps, youtube and google search already had there own applications so no need for this one.
If your a heavy Google user it may be nice to have all you links to Google apps in one place, but going through Safari is not that big a deal.
The one thing I really like about this app is the shortcut to gtalk which I use a lot, especially in boring classes. And I actually deleted the google earth app I was keeping, and a few other things and just use google mobile app… I dislike clutter.
hmm very interesting, and thankyou! i’m always looking for new Apps for my iPhone, n hate wasting my time with useless ones
Me too! I love downloading and trying new apps. I guess that makes me an app whore. Hopefully, I’ll be ‘Spotlight’-ing some good ones that people like. Of course, I’m always looking for them too. If you have any, share them here.
Agreed. The app is very cool to show people the voice lookup of search items, but otherwise not incredibly useful.
Interesting post. I was checking out something sorta like this a bit earlier. Nice that it is getting covered. By the way, I need to make my site theme more like this.