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AOL optimizes mobile search for Apple's iPhone

By Tim Conneally, BetaNews

April 15, 2008, 12:41 PM

The mobile search field is still anyone's game, and AOL looks to be approaching it by tailoring its search to one of the most popular devices of the last five years: the Apple iPhone.

AOL Mobile Search for iPhone was designed for the mobile Safari browser also found in the iPod Touch. The site's AJAX technology is built around the multi-touch interface of Apple's devices and is currently in public beta, powered by Google. Google itself has had a mobile Safari-customized search site since late last year.

Of course, Yahoo's mobile suite and oneSearch service also targeted the iPhone directly, highlighting support of the device as a "featured mobile service."

Ask.com's mobile search has actually gone as far as copying the iPhone's GUI for its search site.

The only leading search company that hasn't yet acknowledged the iPhone is Microsoft's Live Search Mobile which has customized searches for Windows Mobile Devices and Blackberries, and then the generic search for "Any Mobile Phone."

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