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Verizon: Bing Won't Be Exclusive On All Android Phones
Just a significant number of them...
by Karl Bode Friday 10-Sep-2010 tags: business · wireless · hardware · net-neutrality
The other day, a rumor bubbled forth that Verizon would be making Bing the default search on all Android phones. That's certainly the case for phones like the Samsung Fascinate, which not only comes loaded with annoying bloatware (including Verizon's $10 a month VZ Navigator service), but comes with Bing as default -- and no way to change it. But while Microsoft may have given Verizon a big bag of money to lock down Bing as the default on many handsets, it won't be that way on all Android gear. "We have a relationship with Microsoft and Bing is the search engine on our multi-media phones but we have never said it would be exclusive on all of our devices," Verizon tells Engadget. Of course precisely what Verizon defines as a "multi-media phone" isn't clear.

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cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS

Bing Bin

"Of course precisely what Verizon defines as a "multi-media phone" isn't clear."

Oh yes it is, any phone with a screen!

Just like their mandatory data plan fee for any phone with key input!
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1

Re: Bing Bin

said by cableties:

"Of course precisely what Verizon defines as a "multi-media phone" isn't clear."
VZW defined multimedia phones already.

»www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/stor···20Phones

ThrowDemsOut
If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Mullica Hill, NJ
kudos:4

Re: Bing Bin

said by openbox9:

said by cableties:

"Of course precisely what Verizon defines as a "multi-media phone" isn't clear."
VZW defined multimedia phones already.

»www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/stor···20Phones
Looks like the multimedia phones are in a tier BELOW smartphones and ABOVE feature phones. But I'll be damned if I can tell what the major differences are between what they call multimedia phones and smartphones. Though they do list them as 2 different categories.
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1

Re: Bing Bin

Agreed. It is somewhat confusing. Maybe VZW will eventually get to two tiers, "regular phones" and "devices requiring a data plan".

aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA
Droid does open, lmao...
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1

Re: Bing Bin

My DX does just fine...not sure what your point is.

aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA

Re: Bing Bin

»Verizon Now Crippling Androids Like AT&T
--
.:|:. This link for rent...!
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1

Re: Bing Bin

That article isn't about a Droid. So what's your point again?

skuv

@rr.com
Uhhhhh...

You do realize that the article that we are posting to now is nullifying that article from yesterday that you posted a link to, do you not?

aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA
Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS

Re: Bing Bin

Bigger picture - android openness is its own worst enemy...

»techcrunch.com/2010/09/09/android-open/
--
.:|:. This link for rent...!
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1

Re: Bing Bin

What is your point? This strengths/weaknesses of openness were discussed in yesterday's thread.
dfxmatt

join:2007-08-21
Evanston, IL
please, all this shows is that bing is using antitrust.

remember, they're all "google is illegally using market influence", yet microsoft phones are locked to google. Are google phones locked to google?

no.

notice that.

jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH

all phones but feature phones

so this will include all phones with true browsers. Sounds like the feature phones that have the wap2.0 browsers will not have bing, because there is no real reason too. Slightly missleading comments.

ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Grafton, WV

Anyone think it interesting....

That Verizon is putting Bing (Microsoft) on Adndroid (Google) phones and not giving the option to remove it? I smell a antitrust suit coming naming Verizon and Microsoft as the defendants.
k1ll3rdr4g0n

join:2005-03-19
Homer Glen, IL

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

said by ropeguru:

That Verizon is putting Bing (Microsoft) on Adndroid (Google) phones and not giving the option to remove it? I smell a antitrust suit coming naming Verizon and Microsoft as the defendants.
They have been doing shady things for years without penalty. Yet the Verizon customers seem to think that its "ok" to give up consumer rights for "better signal".

ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Grafton, WV

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

said by k1ll3rdr4g0n:

said by ropeguru:

That Verizon is putting Bing (Microsoft) on Adndroid (Google) phones and not giving the option to remove it? I smell a antitrust suit coming naming Verizon and Microsoft as the defendants.
They have been doing shady things for years without penalty. Yet the Verizon customers seem to think that its "ok" to give up consumer rights for "better signal".
Yeah, but customers are lazy and don't care. They will step on google's toes now who has money and does care.
OwlSaver
OwlSaver
Premium
join:2005-01-30
Berwyn, PA
Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

I am a verizon customer. My wife wants a new phone and would like an iPhone or Android. For now, the iPhone is not an option (I use an AT&T phone for work and there is no way I am going to put up with the complaints if we switch). So, I am really annoyed that Verizon is loading software on the android and locking them to Bing. But, what can I do? They will not change a phone just for me and I need to get my wife a new phone. I really wish that the vertical integration of phones and service would be broken. The government should enforce that any phone can be used on any compatible network. Then, we would not have these annoyances - we would have other ones.
old_wiz_60

join:2005-06-03
Bedford, MA
They pay enough money to the regulatory agencies and congressmen to get away with pretty much anything. They usually get what they want anyway.
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1
said by ropeguru:

I smell a antitrust suit coming
No, because you can still utilize Google and other search engines all you want.

ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Grafton, WV

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

said by openbox9:

said by ropeguru:

I smell a antitrust suit coming
No, because you can still utilize Google and other search engines all you want.
So what is the difference between that and the law suit over not being able to remove internet explorer? Or am I remembering that law suit incorrectly.
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

In a nutshell, the US vs. MS lawsuit was about MS bundling its web browser with its OS and instilling restrictive licensing agreements with OEMs. It was ultimately settled with a wrist slap which changed little in the environment.

I view this differently than what MS likely did with VZ. First, I don't believe the restrictions are as dire as a lot of the media have made them out to be. Look around at some of the Fascinate owners. Second, MS doesn't own the whole platform as it did during the US vs. MS suit. Lastly, choices still exist as this device and/or agreement doesn't control a significant portion of the market.

BF69
Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

said by openbox9:

In a nutshell, the US vs. MS lawsuit was about MS bundling its web browser with its OS and instilling restrictive licensing agreements with OEMs.
And this is different how?
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

Read the rest of my post

BF69
Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

said by openbox9:

Read the rest of my post
I did
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1

Re: Anyone think it interesting....

Then why are you asking me how this situation is different than the previous antitrust litigation against MS

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium
join:2000-11-08
Brooklyn NYC
Reviews:
·Clearwire Wireless

Is there a way?

To wipe the bloatware out and install a stock Android OS on VZ Smartphones?

I look at smartphones the same way I look at laptops. Sell me the damn hardware and a data plan, and let me sort out the software!

The only way I was able to get full functionality out of my iPhone 3g was to jailbreak it and install the apps I wanted. If it can be done with a locked-down iPhone, can't it be done with a phone running open source Android? After all, isn't that what open source is all about?

Bob
--
Would you ever go over to Czechoslovakia, and marry me daughter for me?"

swhitney2003
Premium
join:2003-06-13
NH

Re: Is there a way?

Yes. It is called rooting the phone.
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:1
said by TamaraB:

To wipe the bloatware out and install a stock Android OS on VZ Smartphones?
You can remove bloatware with root access. You won't be able to install stock Android on all devices. It depends on what the manufacturer does to lock down the device.
nfotiu

join:2009-01-25

Sounds like they are keeping it off the Droids

Sounds like they are positioning some androids as lower tiered smart phones, and will leave the Droid labelled ones alone. Sounds good to me, easy enough to stay away from those.

Interesting that they are positioning their Galaxy S that way though, as hardware wise, it is pretty much the top of the heap (minus the nasty gps issues).

cruz1

@sbcglobal.net

Go ahead and try ...

People already despise Verizon for overcharging on just about every aspect of service so they can not afford Go ahead and try placing Bing and BS VZ Navigation on my phone, I can tell you my 5 household Android phones are getting cancelled!

Since I already pay the highest rates in the country with Verizon, I have no issue paying full price for new phones and getting cheaper rates and more freedom with T-Mobile with no contract!

Elgoog

@comcast.net

Uhhhhhhhhh.......

Android is "open", but you can't remove apps/craps that Verizon bakes in??? I don't understand.
blguy07

join:2010-01-01
Iowa

Bing is supposedly "cleaner" than Google

when it comes to search results.

Anyone believes that?

Darkflight
4G Stitch626

join:2001-03-03
Rowland Heights, CA

Re: Bing is supposedly "cleaner" than Google

That goes as far as everyone trusting what Microsoft says is the best thing for you... Or that Apple never has an issue...

BF69
Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
said by blguy07:

when it comes to search results.

Anyone believes that?
I don't thinks so but it doesn't matter. Even if it could be proven than Bing is better, if I as the customer who is paying BIG money for a device and service should have the CHOICE of using the "crappier" search engine if I want.

Fluker

join:2005-04-07
West Lafayette, IN
Well.. Google Maps blows Bing maps out of the water by a wide margin.

Comparisons like this:

»imgur.com/pXJAz.png

Show that Google maps are a huge winner. I think a lot of people consider that to be a big feature of a portable device.

marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
kudos:1

Re: Bing is supposedly "cleaner" than Google

Google maps has some very serious accuracy issues since they dumped their 3rd party providers though.
»www.spatiallyadjusted.com/2010/0···asadena/
bnceo

join:2007-10-11
Bel Air, MD

Point & Laugh @ Android

Love the "openness" of Android. But if you really want openness, it's at Palm and WebOS. Where the company actually LIKES the homebrew community and doesn't try to clamp down on them. Where the patch makers and homebrew app devs are actually given a shoutout during big presentations ala CES.

Where even a CTO at HP (Palm's new owners) has overclocked the Palm Pre with utter ease while the Android crowd struggles to get root access on some phones.

So while Android might cry open, they really are not. Open enough for carriers to lock down whatever they want on their phone versions. Have fun with that.

Droid doesn't do homebrew easily. Droid can't multi-task like WebOS. Droid can't patch and later your OS in under 2 min. Droid doesn't have TouchStone charging. Droid just can't.

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