iPhone 5 rumors have been popping up surrounding the hardware. Things like the screen size and connector dock have been talked about ad nauseum. But recently some software rumors have started to surface. On the heels of iOS 6 getting rid of the native Youtube app, it looks like Apple will be purifying their devices of Google.
The current iPhone 5 rumors point to Apple adopting Bing as their native search engine rather than the usual Google search. This move makes sense for both parties, although I’m not sure if it will play out as intended.
Apple wants Google off their devices for two simple reasons. One is that Google is a competitor to Apple with their Android phones and tablets. The other is that the more Google technology Apple uses, the more money they need to pay Google. Naturally, Apple started de-Googling their devices. It started with its own Maps application, followed by the discontinuity of the native Youtube app, and now a rumored partnership with Microsoft’s Bing.
On Microsoft’s end of the rumor, this works out great. Microsoft products don’t get the kind of recognition Apple does. Having Bing on the iPhone 5 would help the search engine reach hundreds of millions that have just stuck with Google. It will also be interesting to see how Bing’s social features will be incorporated on a smarthphone browser.
But there could be some drawbacks to this. There will likely be a Youtube app on the App Store, and if not people will still visit the mobile web version. According to these iPhone 5 rumors Apple and Microsoft seem to be assuming that everyone will be using the default browser and search engine. Personally, I prefer third party browsers like Atomic, Dolphin, and even Google Chrome.
So while Apple may be trying to get rid of Google, it will only be symbolic. Plenty of iPhone users will continue using Google services on Apple’s smartphone as part of their daily routine.