Google introduces new voice search application for the iPhone

Services

Google announced on Tuesday a new iPhone application that allows you to make location based searches just by speaking a question into your iPhone. Your spoken question, “Where is the nearest Best Buy?” for example, is sent to Google’s server as a digital file and processed by Google’s server side voice recognition software. The converted query is then forwarded to Google’s search engine and the results are sent back to the handset, supposedly within seconds. Excellent! This is not a new concept as Microsoft already has its TellMe service, Yahoo has OneSearch and Nuance is in the process of developing its own Open Voice Search. What is interesting is Google’s choice of the iPhone and not Android for its launch platform which combines the iPhone, currently still the best selling handset in the US, with the world’s most popular search engine. Talk about bringing voice search to a large audience. The Google Mobile App with the new voice search is available now from the App store. Just to warn you, the voice search only supports U.S. English and only works with the iPhone. Sorry iPod Touch users, you need a microphone for this to work! If any of you iPhone owners out there test out the new Google voice search, give us a shout in the comments and let us know how it works for you. Hit the jump for a Google Video explaining the service.

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22 Comments
  • Lil Whoa

    “Tony Romo” results in Tony Roma for me :/. It takes longer waiting for the voice recognition software than it does to type something.

    Nice if you’re not in any hurry, need to watch the road, suck at typing on the iphone, or want to impress your friends.

  • Tande

    “Sorry iPod Touch users, you need a microphone for this to work!”

    It will work with the G2 touch and the microphone headphones. Just FYI.

  • G_Money21

    [insert adam sandlers the wedding singer voice] WHOOPIDY DOO!! [/adam sandlers wedding singer voice]

  • Rim

    This service is already available on Google Maps on my BB Pearl, which even has street views. This is old news.

  • Verizon Guy

    I wonder who powers their speech recognition software–did Google license it from someone (check “About” screen) or did they build their own speech processing engine? I can’t check myself because I don’t have access to an iPhone right now.

  • golly gee

    Funny how these uber apps come out for the Icrap the week the Storm comes out

  • Ryan

    the voice search will only search google.com. If you wanna search contacts,wikipedia, or maps you have to type in your search. This makes me me think it was delayed because apple had google take out voice searching for the device and just limit it to google.com because possibly apple is adding voice commands to it’s own software.I could be wrong but why else would google leave our the extra search options with voice?

  • CanisMinor

    So what’s the difference between this voice service and the one I’ve had on my Blackberry Google Maps for the past four months?

  • Donk

    Its funny that the first result that appears on the searh it’s from Yahoo Answers

  • http://www.ryaninc.net ryaninc

    Wow. I’ve seen voice searching before, but this is actually pretty darn impressive. Here’s hoping they release an Android version soon! :-)

  • Moonjo

    Google search will also search your contacts if you say a name. It won’t search email though, which I hoped it would.

  • zerokul

    Works like a gem, but only on google searches, not on contacts or maps, it will be a good idea to implement that in the future. Anyways I am peruvian and i have an accent and from 10 voice searches I did, google got 6 right, 2 half right and 2 totally wrong.
    Works good to me.
    Thanks Google for making us Iphone users lazier !!!!!! hehehehe

  • Jake

    Would seem Google would release this for a Google partnered device first, namely the G1. Guess Google already gots theres.

  • Perspective

    Yes, the “iCrap.” How creative. With nearly 15 million units sold so far, you might call it “i-cha-ching” instead. If you’re counting that is more units than the Bold and the Storm will sell, combined, during their first 12 months, since people only use those things when there’s no real alternative. Now, if you want crap, check out the Storm. Epic fail is on the way. I don’t expect to see any lines on Friday, and let’s face it, neither do any of you.

  • Paul

    Wow, look at all the iPhone hating FANBOYS in here. Why comment if you hate the iPhone? Are you upset it is passing you by? Get used to it.

    For those readers that actually care and can ignore the bashers of anything but VZW and BB here:

    The app works extremely well and I have added to several other apps that use speech recognition that also work well. I am also using Say Where and SayNDrive both are free. There are also many voice dialers for the iPhone, I am using SpeechCloud. I find it works better then the built-in one on my BB Curve or Windows Mobile phone ever did.

    8,830 iPhone Apps as of today and still counting. Many many great ones. The Storm has none yet and will probably never catch the iPhone in the amount of apps, and yes quality ones.

    WiFi alone makes some of the best apps possible like multi-player gaming, active file sharing, VoIP, to name a few.

  • moni19

    To Paul and Perspective..

    why all the hate for VZW and the Storm…I only see 2 people on here hating and that’s you two. VZW and the Storm have nothing to do with this post about google and voice search for the iPhone but you constantly insist on bashing vzw and the storm whenever you can. Wow, you guys are really pathetic.

  • Paul

    @ moni19:

    What did you miss ALL the iPhone haters in the comments on a post about THE IPHONE! Why comment at all if you hate or don’t own an iPhone on a post about a nice app for the iPhone? Unless of course you have something bad to say about a device you do not own, do not use or do not like!

    If you SEE ONLY TWO people hating, YOU ARE F…ing BLIND. Both of us answered the iPhone haters above.

    Maybe they do not hate the iPhone, as it sounds like they are extremely jealous and wish the Google app either was no good or did not exist. Sorry it does and runs like a charm!

  • Big Mike

    Works good on Wifi and my friend’s 3G iPhone, but Edge takes long enough that you almost want to just type it instead. Still not enough for me to buy an iPhone 3G for $200 and $10 more a month until this iPhone is RIP though. GPS is useless to me without live guidance and voice directions.

  • blah

    nice first attempt, but it fails… it very rarely was able to give me a good transcription of my voice. Also on my iphone it seemed to spend quite a bit of time “thinking” before it gave me the wrong transcription.

    I also tried vlingo on my bold(not official yet), and it was far more superior. vlingo is the engine behind yahoo onesearch. vlingo also does “commands” like “send message”, “search blah blah”, “open calendar”, “note to self, buy milk and RIM stock, sell Apple stock”

  • StevenGlansburg

    Android is coming to iphone

  • BrianC

    Microsoft Live Search for Windows Mobile has that speech recognition feature for quite a while already and it works very well. It is quite amazing. Unfortunately the Live Search is only for US and UK at present.

  • Paul

    @ BrianC:

    Too bad Live Search can’t find much!

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