Rumors have been brewing since 2015 that Apple is working on its own search engine. The events of November 2022, have pushed this dream further than reality. Amidst this, Apple is still pushing to launch a Search Engine to rival Google.
It’s very well known that Google’s dominance over the Search Engine domain is worldwide. Apple has been developing something like its own behind the doors ever since. According to a recent report by The Information, there have been several statements that claim that Apple is still developing a global online Search Engine.
Apple bought the machine learning start-up LaserLike in 2018 to improve its search capability across devices. Founded by 3 former Google Search engineers Srinivasan Venkatachary, Steven Baker, and Anand Shukla, Apple reportedly said that the intention to develop search capabilities was to improve search for Apple Music and the App store. But in November 2022, LaserLike founders went back to their previous organization and Apple’s rival.
Delay in Apple’s Search Engine
According to a report by The Information, a team of 200 people led by LaserLike co-founder Srinivasan Venkatachary was operating separately from the group in charge of the search for Apple’s App Store. The team was developing technology to improve search results for Spotlight and Siri Suggestions search features on iPhones and Macs. But the report states that Apple is at least 4 years away from launching its own search engine, according to an insider.
While Google pays around $15 Billion to stay as the default search engine in Apple devices, Apple still thinks the cost is too light. Hence the home-grown search engine will boost Apple’s side of the negotiation till they power up their search database. In a tweet by tech journalist Robert Scoble in May 2022, Apple was supposed to launch it’s own search engine by 2023 (known through insider sources). Hence, the tech giant is considering every option to beat Google such as partnering up with Microsoft for Bing as the default search engine.
While decisions like these must not be taken in haste, Apple surely is lagging behind its biggest rival in areas such as Search Engine and the trillion-dollar organization doesn’t like it.
