Universal search features in Google Suggest for mobile

Thursday, April 8, 2010 | 5:35 PM

Last December on the Official Google Blog, we announced how universal search features in Google Suggest could show useful information while the user is composing a query from the Google home page. Today, we are bringing this same functionality to mobile phones so that getting answers while on the go is even faster and easier. For example, let's say you're flying to London and want to know: Is my flight on time? Or what is the exchange rate of the pound? As you type the flight "Ba 284" or "Usd in pounds", the answers are provided right below the search box, without having to wait for the results page. Other searches that show answers include weather (e.g., "weather london"), stock quotes (e.g., "intc"), current time (e.g., "time london"), calculator (e.g. "29*37") and unit conversion (e.g., "220 miles in km").

To try this yourself, go to google.com on your phone's browser and type your own query to see these special results under the search box. Note that if you don't see these results at first, try refreshing the page in your browser. The functionality is currently supported on Android-powered devices, iPhones/iPods and Palm WebOS devices in the US.

6 comments:

Develop said...

Its great that these features are becoming available to all users.

Niraj said...

Except Windows Mobile users, but I suppose we're used to that by now :/

Stefing said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

Kchrpm said...

Not Google's fault that Mobile IE is woefully behind the times. If you use one of the Opera Mobile builds on Windows Mobile it will probably work, or the Iris WebKit browser.

Stefing said...

This is similar to the functionality Android already has in its search bar widget - but this will allow Apple users to play catch-up - AGAIN ;)

Unknown said...

This is less useful on an Android phone like the Droid or Nexus One.

Those users (like me) are likely to use the search softkey, which these updates do not apply to. You have to launch the browser & go to google.com to get the benefit.

Still great, but would love to see it in the next release of Android too!!

-RAG