The point wasn’t to compare Apple to Google as a search engine but to say how Apple was able information it needed to provide its services without having that search engine, an important source of information. It turns out the QuickType keyboard is a powerful compensator. Apple can see what you type — when you search, when you use mail, etc. — and match keywords to sort out stuff like travel, appointments, etc. So even if you use Gmail and its calendar (as I do) you will get proactively notified on stuff like travel, and Apple can identify a caller for you if that person’s number had earlier shown up in an email.

If you use a third-party keyboard with your Apple device, you won’t get the benefit of this, by the way.