Rumors have been circulating for months about Apple’s supposed decision to use Bing as a default on the iPhone. According to TechCrunch,
Microsoft Bing will replace Google in the next version of the iPhone operating system to be released in June, we’ve heard from mulitple sources, including a high level source who claims to have been briefed on the matter. We’re not calling this more than a rumor yet, but one thing is sure – our sources close to Google in particular are speaking freely about this as fact…. UPDATE: new sources are saying “It’s more complicated than this” and not to expect Google search to be removed from the iPhone next month.
We did not enter the search business, Jobs said. They entered the phone business. Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We won’t let them, he says. Someone else asks something on a different topic, but there’s no getting Jobs off this rant. I want to go back to that other question first and say one more thing, he says. This don’t be evil mantra: “It’s bullshit.” Audience roars.
According to Greg Sterling at SearchEngine Land, the breakdown of default deals is as follows on PCs:
PC Maker US Share Worldwide Share Search Partner Deal Signed Dell 29.5% 13.6% (2) Microsoft Jan. 2009 HP 25.7% 18.4% (1) Microsoft June 2008 Apple 9.5% - Jan. 2003 Acer (Gateway, Packard Bell) 8.9% 12.5% (3) Yahoo Sept. 2006 Toshiba 5.6% 4.6% (5) Jan. 2007 Lenovo - 7.3% (4) Microsoft March 2007
The mobile phone industry as follows with default deals listed:
Can Apple really make the switch to Bing? When Verizon pulled that stunt, thousands of irate users blew up customer service lines wanting to know what had happened to their trusty Google default engine. Apple may inadvertently urge many to switch to the more user friendly open platform Android.