As we noted earlier, Google has pumped up its interface for the Apple iPhone. It is now faster, more customizable, and supports iGoogle gadgets on the mobile phone. (Official details here). This should help Google see even more mobile traffic from the iPhone than it does already.
More significantly, with iGoogle integration, developers don’t have to wait for Apple to open up the iPhone to third-party apps. They can just create an iGoogle gadget instead. No wonder Google CEO Eric Schmidt recuses himself from iPhone discussions when he goes to Apple board meetings. He’s competing for the real estate om that tiny screen.
very wise, IMHO. I wish more software & service companies would realize that they should focus on what they do best —- not try to get into hardware. Hint, hint — Amazon Kindle.
Google and Apple will be long term partners. Each of their products need each other.
Mmmmm, I think Facebook has an iPhone version too…
The iPhone is the best showcase for the mobile internet. Nokia has superior phones (N Series), but the iPhone gets the ink, hence is worth a ton of good press for Google Mobile.
How clever. The iphone needed this. There is no problems dealing with competiton because they are partners.
http://www.webepags.com
Looks great and clean. Definitely Google will boost their traffic with this change in the interface
Great thing. But what useful widgets will work on that small screen?
How’s Gmail on the iphone (not using iphone’s imap)?
You need web enabled mobile applications, not mobile websites.
1. It is way easier to press a button than to go to a web browser (only us geeks are handy with it) and search for a site that has the features you want.
2. With applications you can make use of certain features of the phone. Take Nokia Maps that take advantage of the GPS-receiver and get its updates straight from the web. You could think of GPS-applications that use the camera too (photoblogging) or the SIP-function (digital tour guide anyone?).
The integration of phone features with a web browser is not easy, or even desirable. (How about a site that turns your phone camera on without you knowing. At least with apps you know you have installed it)
3. charging for applications is easier then charging for access to website. An application can send a premium sms once a week/month and register and administer itself throught the IMEI and so. Try that with a website.
Then again, this version of the iPhone is very poor on hardware or web speed (for streaming stuff), so there is not much interesting to connect anyway…
What if I liked iGoogle the old way? Well, sucks for me because there’s no way to put the feeds in 3-column view when viewing on the iPhone. Un. Happy.
I think that the apps are useful for a very reduced group of people. For the majority, it isn´t!
These apps put Google on the iPhone map nicely.. right where they want to make sure they are. Without a doubt iPhone is reducing my computer web browsing time and increasing my Mobile browsing time, so this keeps google apps in my face.
I love the Google iphone apps. But this update is somewhat of a mess and buggy. What happened to the calendar? I only see one calendar now??? There are no settings to adjust it. The old calendar displayed beautiful color coded calendars right on the iphone.