iPhone search: Google out, Bing in?

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 21 January 2010 03:15

Opinion and Analysis

Is Apple preparing to drop Google in favour of Bing as the iPhone's default search engine?

Apple is discussing the possibility of replacing Google with Bing as the default search engine on the iPhone.

That's what BusinessWeek is reporting, anyway.

Search engines are generally prepared to buy the default position in a browser. For example, around 90% of Mozilla's revenue comes from search arrangements, and most of that is from Google.

Similarly, Apple is thought to receive perhaps $US100 million a year from Google in respect of search traffic generated from the various versions of Safari or from the 'Search with Google' contextual menu item in Mac OS X. However, that's sufficiently small change to both companies that it doesn't show up in their financial statements.

But a rift has been growing between Apple and Google, apparently largely due to the latter's creation of the Android platform and the recent introduction of the Google-branded Nexus One handset.

These developments have brought the companies into direct competition, and Android was largely the cause of the departure of Google CEO Eric Schmidt from Apple's board.

What else could be involved in the machinations? Please read on.