If you go to google.com using Safari on your iPhone, chances are you’ll see what you’ve always seen. A replica of the classic Google search page, with a large text entry box in the center, and various headers along the top for Images, Places, News, and more. Some lucky users are seeing something different, however.
According to phoneArena.com, screenshots they obtained show a revamped user interface for the mobile Google search page. Large icons are added to the headers along the top, as well as to each item in the ‘more’ dropdown page. The dropdown is also organized into tabs for organization, one for search and one for apps.
In the search tab, you will find the ability to search sites like Google Finance, YouTube and Maps. Each item is represented by a large, easy to hit button, rather than just text.
No word on whether this change is being rolled out gradually, or if it will just happen. Even the user who submitted the screenshots did not see this for long, as it reverted back to normal shortly after he captured the images. Who knows, it may not even come at all.
I certainly understand Google’s emphasis on speed over aesthetics, and part of the reason for keeping the search page relatively free of images is to keep things fast for the end user. It seems that usability is winning in this new redesign, as icons are a lot easier to hit on the small iPhone screen than single lines of text.
Has anyone seen this redesign on their iPhones? Does anyone even go to the Google search page anymore?
Article Via TUAW
Photo Credit: phoneArena.com
