Apple vs google: Why iPhone 4S’s Siri is a Threat to Google

What do you do when you want information? For many years it has been to Google for it. Ask the search engine whatever you want and it will use its complex algorithm to give you the best information on the internet. Although Google is still the undisputed leader in search (65% of people use Google for internet search in the United States, 97% of all smartphone users use Google as their search engine, and 94% of Europe uses Google), Google Chairman Eric Schmidt noted that "Apple’s Siri is a significant development—a voice-activated means of accessing answers through iPhones that demonstrates the innovations in search."

The above quote is just one of many sent to different Senate subcommittees, trying to convince them that Google isn’t the monopoly that it appears to be. As such, just because Schmidt is acknowledging that Siri may pose a threat to Google’s search business, it’s unlikely that he’s losing any sleep over it. The more he beefs up his competitors, the less chance Google has of being regulated by the government.

Right now, Siri users represent a tiny fraction of people who are using Apple’s voice assistant technology over Google and the voice technology will not pose a threat to Google unless Siri sees a much wider user base. Furthermore, although Siri uses Yelp! And Wolfram Alpha for many of its answers, if you want to ask Siri a general question, it will use Google.

Apple’s Siri may be a long term threat to Google if it ditches Google search and makes its own search engine. The fact that almost 60% of all mobile web traffic comes from an Apple operating system (iOS) means that an Apple search engine can make a dent in Google’s search engine dominance, provided that it actually makes one. Many are speculating that iOS 6 will be the first time that Apple ditches Google Maps in favor of maps acquired from C3 Technologies. This means that Apple doesn’t want to reply on third parties for its operating system. An Apple search engine, coupled with Siri technology, may already be in the works and may pose a threat in the future (5-10 years from now?), reflecting Schmidt’s concerns that Apple’s Siri / Laptop Battery is a competitor to Google.

Even though many are dismissing Schmidt’s Siri claims, saying that he is just trying to protect Google from government intervention, he is also making a valid point: Apple’s Siri represents a long term threat to the search engine giant and Google will need to continue to innovate amidst competition from the likes of Apple and helpful websites such as Orbitz and Kayak, which show up in its own search engine.