Is Siri a threat to Google?

Siri is the voice controlled personal assistant on the new Apple iPhone 4S and there has been a lot of talk recently about the threat that it poses to Google. For example, there is Yes, Google, Siri is a serious threat, Siri, are you stealing searchers from Google?, How Siri will eat Google's lunch, and even Google's Eric Schmidt: Apple's Siri could pose a threat.

Does Siri really spell the end of everything for Google? Of course not. Siri is one app on one mobile phone and it is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to search. The mount of publicity the iPhone gets you would think that 90% of the world was using it and that anything it does will completely revolutionise the way the world works. The reality is that iPhone users are a very small minority of global mobile phone users and an even smaller percentage of the total searches occurring on a daily basis, most of which come from desktop and laptop computers and not iPhones.

This does not mean that Siri is insignificant and can be ignored and it could have quite a big effect on search, at least for Apple iPhone users. If you want to search for something, such as local businesses, pizza, cinemas and so on, an iPhone 4S user with Siri will simply speak into the phone. Siri will then go and look up the information you need and display or speak the results. The problem for Google is that Apple controls the whole process and decides which service to use to perform the search. Apple may not use Google search and it may use someone else's or even create its own. Google searches return a long list of results and these included sponsored links and adverts from which it earns money. Siri's results do not, so Google loses out.

However, Google is already losing out on searches on the iPhone anyway and if you want to locate local businesses, services, entertainment and other things, there are lots of apps that do that. Apps like Yelp, Qype, AroundMe, Thompsonlocal, Acrossair, Layer, Flixter, Booking.com, Voucher Cloud and many more are all available. When you want to find something you use these rather than using Google search anyway. Siri may pose a bigger threat to these apps and whether you want a pizza or a plumber you may simply ask Siri where the nearest one is. Who needs Yelp, Qype or AroundMe?

Don't forget that Google search is the default on Android phones and the Android market is growing at a phenomenal rate. Siri on just on the iPhone 4S and therefore isn't much of a threat. There just aren't enough users for it to make a difference. Even a few years down the line when all iPhones have Siri, it will still be just one one among a sea of Android devices all with Google search. Is Siri really that much of a threat?