Google Instant is out for Android smartphones

REVENUE GENERATOR Google Instant is being rolled out to mobile phones by the Internet search giant as the firm looks to cash in on its search as you type contraption.

Since its inception, Google Instant has polarised views, with some calling it a cynical ploy to increase revenue from keyword advertising while its rivals claim the technology skews search statistics. Now reports are emerging of US users being offered the chance to use Google Instant for online searches on their Android smartphones.

Google had always planned to release Instant for mobile phones, however never publicly said when it would release the feature. Now with reports that Google Instant will do what we have suspected all along, that is, increase revenue for Google, it's not at all surprising that the Internet's most powerful ad-broker has decided to roll it out onto smartphones.

From our less than exhaustive tests, at present it seems that only US users have access, though like most of Google's beta software it can take days to roll out to accounts. As to what effect the hyperactive searching will have on battery life and 3G data quotas, that's a matter that will likely play a large role in whether users choose to run Google Instant on their smartphones.

At press time Google was unable to comment specifically on the rollout of Google Instant, merely pointing out that it was on the cards right from the start. As to when Brits will get their chance, well, it certainly won't be in an instant. µ