Tech Search

Google's new hotness is likely invading your desktop web search right now, but what's Instant search like on a smartphone? We got a good look at a Verizon-based Droid 2 running a prototype version of the auto-complete engine on both WiFi and 3G, and we're happy to say it's just about the same -- assuming you've got a decent connection and a reasonable amount of screen real estate. As you can see immediately above, you're only getting three Instant results under the search box here, as oppose... d to the desktop version's five, and between Android's notifications bar and the native keyboard auto-complete bar, you can only see a single result without scrolling down -- and honestly, this isn't going to be all that useful at a glance if you're relying on a screen-sucking virtual keyboard.

The system was speedy enough, however, pulling down not only text queries but also Google Image thumbnails as well, and worked about as quickly as a standard mobile Google run without having to hit a button to complete our search. (The prototype did stop working and had to be restarted when we lost our 3G bars. ) A Google product manager told us it should work in any AJAX-capable mobile browser, and is presently in testing on Android and iPhone, with BlackBerry in consideration given the more-capable OS 6 browser. Expect to see it hit smartphones near you this fall.

Continue reading Google Instant on a Motorola Droid 2, hands-on

Google Instant on a Motorola Droid 2, hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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