Some iPhone users are beginning to notice some design changes and UI enhancements coming to their Google search page in Safari.
Phone Arena originally noticed the changes, pointing out that large new icons have replaced the smaller text links at the top of the page. The new icons are visible upon running a search query on an iOS device. The icons include Google searches, images, places, and news.
There are also some additional tabs that can be accessed by pressing the drop-down ‘More’ icon. Interestingly enough, there is also a separate category for apps that show some of the most common services offered by Google, such as YouTube, Buzz, Google Translate and Maps.
Google is trying to emulate the presentation and convenience of the desktop search experience, and the addition of the larger navigation tabs makes the search page seem more optimized for a mobile device. It also makes the dedicated Google iOS application less of a must-download, considering that simply bookmarking the new mobile site in Safari is arguably just as convenient.
Google appears to be rolling out the changes to users gradually. I don’t see the new search page on my device yet. There are also user reports that after browsing the new layout, the page reverts back to the original style; which seems to imply that Google may just be testing the new look and may not plan to roll it out to everyone anytime soon.
You can check to see if the redesigned page is available by visiting m.google.com on your iOS device and performing a search (you must be logged in with your Google account on the device).
via 9 to 5 Mac
