In a startling turn of events, AT&T is removing the default Google search functioning on the upcoming Android OS Backflip phones and replacing it with Yahoo.
According to Business Week:
Google declined to comment on the Backflip. “This is not a Google-branded product and, therefore, product inquiries should be directed to AT&T and Motorola,” the company said.
Yahoo execs, however, are crowing, according to Fox Business:
David Katz, a vice president at Yahoo, said in an e-mailed statement, “We have a long-standing relationship with AT&T and more than 80 carrier partnerships around the world for our award- winning mobile-search experience. Mobile search continues to be a focus for investment and innovation.”
The folks at Engadget weren’t impressed with the change to the Motorola phone:
Yahoo has replaced Google as the default search provider throughout the phone. It’s crazy: the home screen widget, the browser, everything’s been programmed to use Yahoo. We love us some irony, but golly, we’d prefer Google searches most of the time.
Gizmodo proposes the idea that AT&T is trying to placate their big client Apple by shutting Google out of the open source phone and choosing Yahoo instead:
AT&T’s undisputed bread and butter is the iPhone, which means that appeasing Apple is high on their priority list. And it’s hard to see what other advantage this move has for the carrier other than scoring a point in their patron’s favor in the escalating Apple-Google feud.
This is just one more reason to optimize for and be indexed in Yahoo’s search engine – Google is only going to be a competitor in mobile search, and not the undisputed top dog. Search Engine Submission is going to take on a whole new meaning as the various engines fight for supremacy, so make sure you have a standing in each index to ensure you show up in results!