Apple removes "Google" branding on Mobile Safari in iPhone OS 4

In the current version of mobile Safari, Google is the default search engine. When you want to search for something, you type in your query and hit the "Google" button. But not anymore.

Once the best of friends, Google and Apple have been warring for months now. First there was Apple's rejection of Google Voice from the App Store, which was soon followed by Google CEO Eric Schmidt stepping down from Apple's board of directors. And then let's not forget about Google positioning its Android OS to challenge the iPhone, Steve Jobs calling Google's "Don't be Evil" mantra bs, and of course, Apple indirectly going after Android by suing HTC for patent infringement.

All in all, while Apple and Google still work closely on some initiatives, a new wrinkle in their relationship appears to manifest itself every couple of weeks. And now we have yet another example on our hands.

The word "Google" is so ingrained as part of our everyday lexicon that it's now referenced as a verb more so than anything else - i.e "Did you Google it?" In fact, Google is so synonymous with 'Search' that in the current version of mobile Safari, where Google is the default search engine, users press a "Google" button after they've typed in their web query.  

But those days appear long gone.

In the new iPhone OS 4, the "Google" button has been replaced by a more generic "Search" button. Does this mean that Apple is indeed considering a deal with Microsoft whereby Bing would become the default search engine on the iPhone? Or maybe it's simply an indication that Apple doesn't want to give Google free branding promotion on the iPhone, even if it happens to be the default search engine.

I, for one, hope Apple's hyper-competiveness regarding the iPhone and Android doesn't cloud their judgement to the extent that Bing becomes the default search engine on the iPhone. While Microsoft has certainly made some strides with their search engine offering, it simply can't compete with Google. At least not yet, anyways. The iPhone is all about quality, and it seems a bit backwards to push Google search aside when it's clearly the highest quality search engine available. While Google search would still be available as an option in a Bing/iPhone world, why make users wade into the system preferences to begin with?

• Apple
• Google
• iPhone OS 4.0