After making its debut upon the iPhone, it looks like Bing! is expanding its mobile presence by (finally) embracing Android.
However it looks as if Bing! embrace of Android is half hearted.
Today we are happy to announce the first official Bing for Mobile Android App available to Verizon customers. You can now download the free Bing App from your Verizon Wireless Android phones’ Marketplace.
The app homepage features the Bing image of the day, complete with clickable hotspots that you can explore and discover related trivia (Bing Community Blog)
Note: Emphasis mine.
While Bing!’s embrace of Android should help Microsoft steal some mobile momentum away from Google, truth be told launching the app only upon one carrier is baffling.
Although Bing! is still available for Americans only, Android has (more or less) been embraced by all US carriers, even AT&T (who also carriers the iPhone).
While we will probably see Bing! eventually be ported to other carriers (thanks in part to the numerous hackers available), Microsoft may want to rethink its approach at handicapping its own mobile search engine, especially if they want to dethrone Google as the king of mobile search.
Originally posted on August 30, 2010 @ 5:36 pm