Google Search app for iOS enhanced with voice search

Siri has long been the sole dominating voice assistant for iOS devices. However, competition for it has arrived. Google recently released the Search app with voice search for iOS devices.

As per an announcement on the Google blog, the search giant states that if you have a question, finding the answer should be effortless with whatever device you are using. The new Google Search app for iPhone and iPad has an enhanced voice search that answers any question with comprehensive Google search results.

Fast and accurate?

Google claims that the new app offers fast and accurate voice recognition technology. The announcement states, “Getting an answer is as simple as tapping on the microphone icon and asking a question like, “Is United Airlines flight 318 on time?” Your words appear as you speak, you get your answer immediately and—if it’s short and quick, like the status and departure time of your flight—Google tells you the answer aloud.”

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You can get answers to an increasingly wide variety of questions thanks to Knowledge Graph, which gives Google’s search technology an understanding of people, places and things in the real world. A few examples cites by Google are:

• “What does Yankee Stadium look like?” Google will show you hundreds of pictures instantly.
• “Play me a trailer of the upcoming James Bond movie.” The trailer starts playing immediately right within Google Search.
• “When does daylight savings time end?” The answer will appear above the search results, so you can set your clock without having to click on a link.
• “Who’s in the cast of The Office?” See a complete cast list and find out who made you crack up last night.

Download this app for your iOS device  here.

Apple has recently made some enhancements to Siri, and with iOS 6 the voice recognition software interprets voice commands and talks back to the user. It is also available to the iPad and was previously available only for the iPhone 4S. Siri, introduced last October with the iPhone 4S, is supposed to get better at fielding questions about movies, restaurants and other things.

Earlier this year, Apple said it is partnering with Yelp Inc so that Siri can include ratings and prices of restaurants when you ask it about places to eat. The company is also partnering with OpenTable Inc to make reservations. Siri will now be available in more languages and more countries. Apple has declared that it is working with car manufacturers to let you use a button on the steering wheel to talk to Siri, allowing you to keep your hands on the wheel. Apple says General Motors Co, BMW AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes are among the automakers that have promised to offer Siri integration in the next 12 months.