Google sees surge of iPhone traffic

In an effort to continue its lead in the mobile-web space, Google has updated its suite of Google web apps with versions specifically tailored to iPhone and iPod Touch users.

Google's efforts to built a compelling suite for the multi-touch platform may have something to do with the disproportionate amount of time iPhone and iPod Touch users spend with mobile Safari.

According to an article published in yesterday's New York Times, "On Christmas, traffic to Google from iPhones surged, surpassing incoming traffic from any other type of mobile device, according to internal Google data made available to The New York Times. A few days later, iPhone traffic to Google fell below that of devices powered by the Nokia-backed Symbian operating system but remained higher than traffic from any other type of cellphone."

While Google's web-apps have been steadily improving since the multi-touch platform launched on June 29 last year, this update sees an 'improved UI that makes the applications look and feel slicker' according to a Google press release.

The update also builds on mobile Gmail and Calendar functionality by including auto-refresh capabilities, better auto-complete functionality for addressing messages and a new month view for the calendar app.

Google has also built a version of iGoogle for the multi-touch platform, which gives users the ability to view their customised iGoogle homepage on their iPhone or iPod Touch including all iGoogle widgets like weather, stocks and news feeds.

With the lead up to the release of Android, Google is making it clear that third-rate mobile web browsers as found in many manufacturers' mobiles are no longer an acceptable standard:

These new features provide iPhone users with a desktop-like Google web application experience in terms of ease-of-use, speed, and feature richness but optimized for the iPhone.

This experience is made possible by the iPhone's general usability and the capabilities of its web browser, combined with Google's innovative mobile web applications.

One of our goals is to support platforms that are fulfilling the promise of the mobile web - like the iPhone - and to ultimately deliver unique and compelling mobile experiences that improve people's daily lives.