#FF00AA

How Siri Disrupts Search – Siri doesn’t replace search, but in many cases it circumvents it by directing users straight to integrated partner services. When you ask for the nearest Indian restaurant there’s still a search taking place, but it’s through Yelp, not a generic search engine that would include Yelp plus various other results.

By skipping the search engine and going straight to a designated source there is no place to insert advertising.

It would be very interesting if that ended up preventing Google from adding Siri-like functionality to Android.

Smartphone users don’t mind that there are ads in Google searches, because that’s the way it is everywhere. They don’t mind the ads in Angry Birds, because that means they get Angry Birds for free. But if Google adds a complete voice interface to Android, and it’s full of ads? The comparison with iOS will be direct and undisputably detrimental. (Because, unlike third-party apps, this is a part of the OS, i.e. something the consumer feels like they’re paying for.) And if it’s not full of ads? Then Google would be killing some of its search engine’s ad revenue without producing anything to make up for it. So the only viable option is for Google to never ever add something as powerful as Siri to their mobile OS.

Considering how popular it’s getting, Siri could be the first really visible differentiator between Apple’s “you’re the customer” and Google’s “you’re the product.” It’ll be interesting to see how that turns out.