Back in August of 2020, Apple announced plans to unveil a new search engine to rival the massive Google stranglehold on the world wide web. At the time of the announcement, little details were divulged. However, judging by the recent activity on Apple's various operating systems, it seems the company is poised to unroll their new search engine sooner than later.
Earlier this week, rumors of the new Apple search engine were rekindled via the Financial Times, who insist the uptick in software trends and crucial new hiring practices are signs pointing to an impending launch. Here's the scoop so far.
Google's Legal Issues
According to the FT report, Apple looks to distance itself from the tech giant Google due to antitrust laws that would end Google's monopoly as the default search engine on all iPhones.
For years, Google has reportedly paid Apple billions of dollars to retain Google Search as the de facto search engine on Safari for Apple devices such as iOS, iPadOS, macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. It would financially behoove Apple to cut ties and create their own search engine, especially if the antitrust suit goes through.
Hiring John Giannendrea
Further evidence pointing to Apple's upcoming search engine launch is the relatively recent hiring of John Giannendrea, Google's chief search guru, in 2018.
Scottish software engineer Giannendrea currently serves as Apple's Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI strategy. He is responsible for creating such programs as Metaweb and Freebase, credentials that lead many to believe he will spearhead a search engine better, if not equal to, that of Google.
Latest Phone Software
Also noted in the FT report is a little-known feature on Apple's most recent iPhone operating system, iOS 14. The software already began integrating nascent search capabilities on its platform.
The iOS 14 program allows iPhone users to search topics of their own choosing that can be displayed on the screen without a third-party search engine. Apple links directly to the websites of the search results through Spotlight Search, rather than using an intermediary like Google to display them. This proves the software is trending in the direction of self-sufficiency.
Increased Activity On Apple's Web Crawler
Another key piece of evidence that Apple is moving fast to unveil its new search engine is the very recent uptick in web crawling through its Applebot websites.
Launched in 2014, Applebot is the web crawler for such popular products as Siri and Spotlight Suggestions. The FT report confirms a recent spike in activity across the web crawler, indicating a major upcoming event. The program was built to form a sweeping database of online content that serves as the basis of any giant search engine.
Updated Applebot Support Page
In addition to increased traffic on Apple's web crawler, the company's Applebot Support Page has been updated in the past two months, according to coywolf.news.
The updates include a tool to ascertain traffic from Applebot, expounded information on the Applebot user agent and the differences between the program on mobile and desktop devices. The page also includes increased rules for robot.txt and ways to gauge how the program ranks its search results. Finally, a portion of the page indicates that Apple doesn't crawl HTML only, but also it categorizes search pages in ways similar to Google.
Hiring Practices
In addition to poaching Google's Head of Search in 2018, many of the job descriptions offered through Apple make little effort to hide their intention to become the web's preeminent searcher.
Many of Apple's recruitment pitches persuade potential employers to "define and implement the architecture of Apple's groundbreaking search technology" (via FT). Apple has also recently hired a slew of new developers to ostensibly take on this very task.
Privacy
One of the things we categorically know about Apple's business practices is that it values privacy far more than its tech contemporaries. We also know that rivals such as Google make money by selling user data to advertisers.
Therefore, one underlying question about Apple's new search engine is how it plans on handling the issue of privacy and user data. However, one way to instantly differentiate itself from Google while earning more user trust would be to create a privacy-first search engine.
Apple Has More Money Than Google
Apple is currently the most valuable tech company in the world. As such, FT reports that the tech giant is no longer dependent on the estimated $8-12 million they receive annually from Google to host its search engine on their various devices.
Coupled with the aforementioned antitrust lawsuit Google is facing over its monopolistic practices, there is no better time for Apple to sever ties with Google and create their own unique search engine. In the tech world, timing is everything.
Improved Siri
While there is a preponderance of evidence to suggest Apple is on the brink of introducing its new search engine, the overarching argument against it that the company may simply be trying to improve AI and Siri technology.
All of the evidence presented by FT is has been circumstantial, leading one to wonder what it is Apple is actually up to. Given the company's staunch privacy and security stance and the remarks Tim Cook made five years ago, it has appeared in the past that Apple does not want to compete with Google for online search supremacy.