Apple Mulling Dumping Google for Bing as Default iPhone Search

Ed Sutherland ()

Apple Mulling Dumping Google for Bing as Default iPhone Search

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” It’s an ancient proverb being revived amid reports Apple is turning to its old foe Microsoft to blunt the growth of Cupertino’s newest rival, Google. Apple is mulling making Microsoft’s Bing the iPhone’s default search engine as it increasingly competes with the Mountain View, Calif. Internet giant.

The BusinessWeek report cites two people “allegedly familiar” with the discussions between Apple and Microsoft. The publication says the Redmond, Wash. software giant “is now a pawn” in the struggle between Apple and Google over handsets, browsers, operating systems and advertising.

In another move highlighting the increased rivalry, Apple recently created a new position – vice president of Mobile Advertising – and filled it with Andy Miller, former CEO of Quattro Wireless, a mobile advertising firm the iPhone and iPod maker purchased for $275 million. The acquisition of Quattro followed Google wooing, then winning adMob, Quattro’s chief rival.

The report suggests Apple may prefer to eventually go it alone in the mobile search arena, without Google or Microsoft. The Cupertino, Calif. firm has created a “skunk works” with the aim of developing its own mobile search platform, according to the publication.

Apple now likens its move into mobile advertising as what it accomplished with the iPhone and iPod. Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs envisions his company overhauling mobile advertising in the same way it changed the face of phones and music players. The company may take a page from Google, earning revenue from ads in App Store software.

With the two companies going after so many similar markets, in 2009 the U.S. Federal Trade Commission began looking into whether there were any improper ties between the two firms. That action led to Google CEO Eric Schmidt resigning from Apple’s board of directors.

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[Via BusinessWeek, AppleInsider and Silicon Alley Insider]

15 comments »

About the author

Ed Sutherland

Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.

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  • http://www.sullysrants.com Sully

    Bing Sucks!

  • erica

    bing sucks ass

  • Namhar

    iSearch rocks

  • http://cultofmac.com Lonnie Lazar

    this is not a good thing.

  • HiramHolliday

    Get back in bed with Google, Steve.

  • Nitrog7

    Apple needs to stay as far away from Microsoft as possible. At least Google cares about its services like Apple. Kinda like Apple’s little brother. They see how popular they are and want to be just like them.

    Just let Microsoft crash and burn. Microsoft is on life support and only hanging in there from there by a thread on their little Windows software. Microsoft is like that jock bully in high school, and now its come time for the reunion and they have a beer gut working at the drive thru.

  • mchiareli

    its a stupid idea….

  • BobMc

    Yes Bing sucks, why would anyone want to us it. Stay with Google

  • Mattzook

    This is what happens when Google/Android starts to mess with Apple and tries to encroach on the success of the iPhone.

    I’m not surprised. Apple is no longer concerned about Microsoft (because Microsoft is perceived as a much weaker and more low-key company these days). Apple is now concerned that Google wants to get their fingers into everything, in addition to Google aiming to be the next Evil Empire (which was the title Microsoft formerly had).

  • Mattzook

    And besides, Bing is not too shabby. They just need to clean up the interface a little better, clean up the clutter, which is not too hard to do.

  • nabil2199

    Only on CoM can you see people who think microsoft is going bankrupt

  • Mattzook

    CoM = Cheerleaders of Microsoft? You’re one of them nabil?

  • nabil2199

    Mattzook, I in fact hate microsoft with the greatest of passions their tactics are anti-competitive but let’s not lie to ourselves microsoft is still a juggernaut, granted not as powerful as they were but still.

    P.S. I’m a tech loving long time linux user

  • Brian

    I am a long-time Mac user, and I think sometimes you should perhaps consider alternatives — like using a Mac instead of a PC! There constantly seems to be ‘rah-rahs’ for Google while Bing receives boos and hisses. I’m not sure if I completely buy into this Google hyper-mania which many people seem to perpetuate. Just because something is familiar (like windows xp) does not mean something else cannot be better.

    Personally, I cannot on many occasions see much of a difference between Google and Bing. I’ve really tried to dislike Bing. But on some things, Bing actually seems to be the better choice.

    So I actually hope Apple does add Bing, along with the already available Google and Yahoo. Just open it up and let the user decide. Apple makes money with any of their built-in search choices, so I doubt they would ever remove Google. Who cares how the ‘default’ from the factory is set? (just ‘google’ it if you are confused on how to choose a different search engine in the search engine list I guess, haha).

  • king

    Why wouldn’t they pick yahoo for a search engine?
    I hear Yahoo is the most visited site on the internet