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Verizon to Ditch Google Search for Bing?

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This just doesn’t make much sense to me, but then the much of what is happening in the world today is becoming increasingly confusing to my pea brain. Reports/rumors are surfacing that Verizon is going to drop Google search as the default for some/all/some number of its phones. Yeah, I’m scratching my head over that one.

The reason this doesn’t make good sense to me is that Verizon and Google seem to be pretty cozy on so many fronts from the net neutrality issue to the selling and promotion of phones running the Android platform. Quite a few of the posts talking this up are reminding us that users can always make a switch away from the default, but even so, I can’t imagine that Google would be that “open” to letting this happen without some serious repercussions.

The rumors center on money of course and that Microsoft is apparently willing to pay big bucks to garner that default spot on mobile devices. That’s always struck me as a desperation move on Microsoft’s part, but if there is any truth to these rumors I guess we can fall back on the old maxim that money talks and … well you know the rest.

Stranger things have happened though, and I’m guessing that will always be the case.

UPDATE: Microsoft has apparently responded saying that this is not an exclusive deal with Verizon: Here’s the quote from Business Insider:

Over the coming months, Verizon will announce the launch of new Android devices, which will be pre-loaded with Bing. The deal for Verizon Android devices is not exclusive.

10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Xavier Lanier

    09/09/2010 at 8:35 am

    I think there are about 500 million reasons why Verizon is doing this…

  2. Sumocat

    09/09/2010 at 8:41 am

    I mentioned this in my CRAPPS post yesterday. Verizon and Microsoft signed a five-year exclusive deal more than a year ago. There was no reason to think Android phones would have been exempt from this, except because the software wasn’t ready… but it’s ready now. 1 + 1 = 2.

  3. Warner Crocker

    09/09/2010 at 8:50 am

    Ah, you numbers guys.

  4. grwisher

    09/09/2010 at 8:59 am

    Google: How is that “Open System” working for you?

  5. Chris Hickie

    09/09/2010 at 12:47 pm

    As long as I can switch easily.

    If not, then time to root.

    • Sumocat

      09/09/2010 at 8:02 pm

      According to the reviews of the Samsung Fascinate, it’s time to root.

  6. rookwood

    09/09/2010 at 7:44 pm

    “This just doesn’t make much sense to me…”

    …be thankful, and very thankful that, whatever the reason, we are being offered alternatives to Google taking over the universe and regulating our online experiences (e.g. Google content search monitoring, YouTube content monitoring, YouTube comment monitoring, NetNeutrality, etc.). And didn’t they just comment that they want to become a third of your brain.

    Come to think of it, don’t be thankful – be afraid, be very afraid!

    …anything but Google near my computers – anything

    …and once you become accustomed to the interface changes, Bing Search and Bing Maps is awesome.

    • vv111y

      09/15/2010 at 10:32 am

      that’s one of the most bizarre things to say – pointing out the big brother evil of google and then promoting microsofts bing – the microsoft who has been the epitome of corporate nastiness for decades. If MS had its way their would be no such thing as net neutrality. Guaranteed MS would do worse than Google if given the chance.
      Fortunately, MS never saw the net coming and they were unprepared.
      Yes we should be concerned about google, but less so than the other corporations with their proven track records.

  7. Sumocat

    09/10/2010 at 6:32 am

    “The deal for Verizon Android devices is not exclusive.” — Hmmm… It occurs to me that statement could go either way. Last week the buzz was over whether Bing for Android was exclusive to Verizon.

  8. Jay Random

    01/23/2011 at 5:45 pm

    Why wouldn’t Google like it? It’s a dip in the ocean of their total user base and gives them someone else to point at when Monopoly regulators come knocking “look how many users those Bing guys have!”.

    That aside, I’m becoming increasingly annoyed with just how intrusive Google is. Don’t really care too much about their software scanning my e-mails for keywords to send ads to (or even that much if they read them, there’s a couple of embarrassing posts but nothing of interest to a corporation or any governments), however the principle of them logging every search result I click on and probably correlating that with my e-mail logins, and my cell phone number which they forced me to hand over, it’s just too invasive, they don’t need to know.

    So, my Google Chrome browser now won’t talk to Google anymore, about anything, and now only talks to Bing :)

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