Google has added a new Options menu to the search results received by mobile users. Simply tap the + sign next to Options to view the search giant’s new drop-down menu for Android, iPhone and webOS-platform smartphone users. Check out the screen shots above, taken from an iPhone, to see how it works.

Here's what Google's Mobile Blog has to say about the added menu:

Finding the exact information you need sometimes requires filtering and refining your search results. Earlier in the year, we launched a collection of tools called Search Options which enable you to easily and quickly do this from a computer. Today in the US, we are making Search Options available on Android/iPhone/Palm WebOS devices so that you can slice and dice your mobile search results as well. For example, suppose you are shopping at a store for a camera, and you would like to see what users have been saying about a specific model within the past week. You can do this simply by searching for the name of the product. Then, on the search results page, use “Options” to filter by “Forums” and refine further by choosing “Past week”.

In related news, Google announced the addition of the Quick Search Box (QSB) to the Android operating system this week. The box allows you to perform both local and Web searches right from your 'gPhone's home screen. Tap the microphone button next to the search box to search the web and call contacts by voice.

QSB provides one single search box to let you search content on your phone, including apps, contacts, and browser history, as well as content from the web, like personalized search suggestions, local business listings, stock quotes, weather, and flight status, all without opening the browser. QSB even learns from your habits and provides faster access to the items you search for and use most often (by, for example, moving them higher on the suggestions list).

See here for more on the new Android Quick Search Box at Google's Mobile Blog. The box, see the video below for a demo, is only available with Android 1.6.