Google has released its annual Year in Search, revealing the top trending search terms of 2017. The iPhone, not too surprisingly, ranked high -- specifically the iPhone 8, which hit No. 2 on the global search list, and the iPhone X, which ranked third. The top trending worldwide term was Hurricane Irma.
2017 was a big year for the iPhone. Apple marked the 10-year anniversary of the first iPhone by releasing the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, as well as the dramatically redesigned iPhone X. Although Apple didn't take the wraps off the phone until September, rumors about the 10-year anniversary iPhone were circulating throughout the year.
It's worth noting that the rumors often referred to the iPhone X as the iPhone 8 -- and the 8 and 8 Plus as the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus. The name iPhone X wasn't rumored until much closer to the reveal. This is likely why iPhone 8 ranked higher than iPhone X.
Google's global top five searches were:
- Hurricane Irma
- iPhone 8
- iPhone X
- Matt Lauer
- Meghan Markle
Google also separated terms into categories ranging from Elections, Actors and Memes. Consumer tech got its own category, with searches for popular products such as the Nintendo Switch (No. 3), Samsung Galaxy S8 (No. 4) and Xbox One X (No. 5). The iPhones of course ranked Nos. 1 2 in this list. To see all of Google's terms, check them out here.
Besides just listing the popular searches, Google wanted us to know that people spent more time searching using the word "how" than before. Whether it was, "How do wildfires start?" or, "How to calm a dog during a storm?" Google put a positive spin on these searches in its blog post, saying that they showed people's desire to give back and serve our communities. It even made a video in honor of people asking "how," which can be seen below.
Neither Google nor Apple immediately responded to a request for further comment.