What’s The Best Smartphone? Google’s New iOS Search App Says Decide For Yourself

Got the new Google Search app on your iPhone or iPad? Here’s a trick. Ask it, “What’s the best smartphone?” The app will politely decline to say. The app will reply in one of two ways that I’ve found: “No one phone is right for everyone.” “You’ll have to decide for yourself.” Don’t have the […]

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BestsmartGot the new Google Search app on your iPhone or iPad? Here’s a trick. Ask it, “What’s the best smartphone?” The app will politely decline to say.

The app will reply in one of two ways that I’ve found:

“No one phone is right for everyone.”

“You’ll have to decide for yourself.”

Don’t have the app? Here’s a video I made with both answers:

[youtube width=”560″ height=”420″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYH18JUFy04[/youtube]

I’m guessing that Google decided to avoid an embarrassment Apple had earlier this year, when Siri was found to be suggesting phones other than the iPhone as the best.

Actually, Siri wasn’t doing this. It was Wolfram Alpha, when Siri was tapping into it, and only when asked in a particular manner. In turn, Wolfram Alpha was using a Best Buy list that didn’t weight ratings by number of reviews.

For the background on all that, see our past articles below:

Ask Siri “what’s the best smartphone,” and she’ll suggest it’s the iPhone that you’re holding. Her jokey responses have been part of Siri since the product was first shipped last year (no, they weren’t recently added):

Sirigoogle

Siri’s answers are above. Google, shown next to Siri, gives a verbal reply that avoids playing favorites. As for the search results that Google does show, those are topped by CNET’s list of best smartphones, where the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3 are tied, both rated as editors’ choices.

Found any other “easter eggs” like this in the Google Search app? No doubt some are hidden. Let us know in the comments below!

Postscript: Via Marsha Collier, try asking “How much wood a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood” to hear the Google Search app give you an answer probably faster than you asked the question.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Danny Sullivan
Contributor
Danny Sullivan was a journalist and analyst who covered the digital and search marketing space from 1996 through 2017. He was also a cofounder of Third Door Media, which publishes Search Engine Land and MarTech, and produces the SMX: Search Marketing Expo and MarTech events. He retired from journalism and Third Door Media in June 2017. You can learn more about him on his personal site & blog He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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