Society has become so used to Google Search that a lot of us wouldn’t even consider switching over to a competitor. There are a few options out there, but none of them seem quite as comprehensive, intuitive, and useful as Google’s. So many felt a sense of surprise when the news came out that Apple is planning to develop its own search engine. Many wonder if it could even keep up with Google, seeing as the Google search engine has been the default choice for internet users for decades now.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Apple’s search engine and want to seek out the best search engine for you, then read on below.
Apple’s search engine seems like a logical conclusion to its AI/machine learning exploration, as the company has refined its search capabilities with Spotlight, Apple Music, and the App Store. Apple acquired machine learning startup Laserlike in 2018 but also suffered quite a few losses in talent employees to Google. There seems to be an in-depth history of Apple employees in the machine learning sector moving to Google, which is probably why there have been multiple setbacks to the Apple search engine.
According to an anonymous source, Apple’s search team consists of around 200 employees and is about four years away from completing any competitor to Google’s search engine. The search team currently work on Siri, Spotlight, and other search-related function on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. There haven’t been any official claims or reports from Apple themselves, only leaks and rumors from those involved in the process, so we can’t know for sure exactly what Apple’s search engine will look like or what it will do.
Is the Apple Search Engine Really Happening?
Apple has had a history of planning grandiose projects only to scale them down ultimately. This is evident with the Apple Car and some iMac/iMac Pro models. It’s hard to imagine that Apple will seriously create a serious competitor to Google’s search engine and be successful with it since the latter has such prestige and reputation. Perhaps Apple is creating a search engine specifically for its own proprietary technology, like using the Apple search engine as the default on Safari.
It’s hard to believe anyone will really take Google’s monopoly when it comes to search engines. It also seems that Apple is having a hard time retaining machine learning employees and that a lot of them go to Google. The team has already experience setbacks related to the project, so it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any progress made in the next few years and if we get an actual announcement about the project.
Apple Search Engine Alternatives
In light of Apple announcing a new search engine, here are a few alternatives you can use right now while you wait for it to come out.
Ecosia
Ecosia is an eco-friendly option for those looking to make small contributions to the betterment of our environment. Ecosia’s unique selling point is that it plants trees from the ad revenue it collects from your searches. The company is transparent with its funds and frequently publishes its financial reports. It’s part of the Microsoft Search Network, so it practically has access to a similar browsing environment as Bing.
Most people are used to how quick and easy to navigate Google is, and we’ve grown used to the rich snippets and personalized search results. Despite that, Ecosia is a noble cause, and using it is a net positive for society overall. It’s reassuring to find a company that actually puts its money where its mouth is, as everyone can verify exactly how much it spends on planting trees.
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is similar to Ecosia in the sense that it’s part of the Microsoft Search Network, so you’ll receive similar search results as Bing. What makes DuckDuckGo special is that it’s big on privacy and data security. Many internet services actively take your data and create in-depth profiles on you, which they then sell to third-party advertisers. Google is one of the biggest contributors to this trend, seeing as the company owns multiple services that internet users use on a daily basis. DuckDuckGo also doesn’t show any results from content farms, which protects readers from clicking on something spammy or irrelevant to their search.
If you enjoy using a service that has the consumer’s interests in mind, DuckDuckGo is a respectable option. It blocks all trackers, which means every search is a new slate. This is a downside if you enjoy personalized results that are more relevant to you, but it isn’t that necessary most of the time. Still, many do feel as if it’s a palpable downside when using DuckDuckGo compared to Google. The service also has its own browser if you’re interested in a more comprehensive and
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