Location-Based Search comes to iPhone

Google added location to Google Maps for Chrome and Firefox browsers recently. Today, Google introduced location-based search to the iPhone. Users with the new iPhone software can go to the Google homepage and choose to try the new ‘My Location’ feature. TechCrunch writes that from here, “the iPhone will pop open a dialogue asking if it’s okay for Safari to use the device’s location services to locate you. If you opt-in, you’ll see a new blue dot below the search box with your location next to it. Do a search, and it will return local results.

Users concerned with privacy issues will be relieved to know that the location-based search option is opt-in only. Locations can also be edited or removed completely. With location-based search, Google will be able to leverage even the mobile web. How will other search engines respond to this?