Google promises Instant search for mobile this fall

Google unveiled Instant, a new predictive search tool that dynamically displays results as the user types, promising the solution will expand from the desktop to mobile devices this fall. Introduced at a San Francisco media event Wednesday, Google Instant is described by the web services giant as a "search-before-you-type" solution that predicts the most likely outcome of a query based on what is already typed, streaming real-time results based on its virtual forecast--as users identify a prediction that corresponds with the information they need, they can stop typing, look down and access the relevant results. Google Instant also features a scroll-to-search function to further simplify the process.

TechCrunch reports that Google representatives vowed to issue a mobile version of Instant sometime this fall, adding that Wednesday's event included a demonstration on an Android smartphone. "Typing on a phone is just slower, so the feedback is even more useful," Google engineer Othar Hansson added.

In July, Google announced that its mobile traffic has grown 500 percent over the last two years, while mobile searches across its Android operating system increased 300 percent during the first six months of 2010. "When the web is better, more people use it more often. And that means they search more often," said Google senior vice president of product management Jonathan Rosenberg during the company's second quarter earnings call. "Android is a leading example of this." According to Rosenberg, the web browser is the most popular application on the Android platform. "What do [users] do there?" he said. "They search more than they ever have."

For more on Google Instant for mobile:
- read this TechCrunch article

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