Google Now, the popular tool that anticipates the info you need and displays it for you, has come to iOS. But how does it benefit Apple to have such a powerful competitor invade its core market in such a visible way? How does it help Google to give yet another unique Droid application away to the competition?

But Google is not giving this app away solely to collect market data and Apple isn’t accepting the update out of the kindness of their hearts. Google has given this app away to iPhone users because Google is a political mastermind. It’s just like in Game of Thrones when Tyrion- (Editors note: there have been far too many Game of Thrones references on this blog already, so we’re cutting the rest of this analogy short!) 

See, Google knows from Apple’s disastrous map switch that Apple users love Google products and the freedom to use them. If Apple rejects the upgrade, they can claim that Apple is, once again, hampering the freedom of its users. And it knows Apple cannot afford to lose discontented users to Android, especially now as their stock price continues to descend.  They must take this in-demand Google app, and eventually make room to take more and more applications from Google if their users are to keep using their phones.

On the surface, Google is giving great tech away and helping a good company out. But under the surface, Google is getting a company in a difficult position addicted to a potentially dangerous practice. So that when the time comes, it will be easier to destroy them. It’s beautiful. In a mad, twisted, diabolical sense.

You can download the full app here.