Report: Google Chrome Coming To iOS Later This Year

First released for Windows desktops in 2008, Google Chrome arrived in February for Android devices as a public beta. Now it looks like Google’s answer to the mobile Web browser could be coming to iOS as well, according to Macgasm. In a bid to take on Apple’s mobile Safari, Google is said to be prepping Chrome for a 2012 release into the App Store. This news comes from a recent Macquarie Equities Research note, which states:

GOOG to launch its Chrome browser for iOS devices – the timing is unclear, but it could be as soon as Q2 and is very likely to be a 2012 event.

In doing so, according to the note, Google’s strategic and operational mobile position would improve. Of course, before Chrome could arrive in the App Store, Google would have to get it past Apple and their app approval process. On this, Apple hasn’t always been kind to their chief rival. As Macgasm states, Google Voice “took a pretty long time to get approved (for iOS).” In fact, soon after it arrived in October, the Google Voice app was temporarily pulled from the App Store. The same could be said for the Google+ app, which Apple approved nearly two weeks after it was submitted for approval in July. Google+ Version 2.0 arrived last week. When Google Chrome is released for iOS, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, would you ditch mobile Safari for Chrome, if given the chance?

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