By It began with the Motorola Backflip: Yahoo! would become the default search provider on Google’s own operating system. There’s not much you can say to damn them seeing as how Android is an open platform, but the current continues to flow in that direction with other companies, as well.
Today, Samsung and Yahoo! announced a partnership to bring Yahoo! search and services to all of Samsung’s upcoming Android and Bada phones. Check out a few of the services from the press release below:
— Yahoo! Go 2.0 —
— An innovative new application that redefines the mobile
Internet experience for consumers through a unique product
design, ability to personalize with content from the entire
Internet and a reinvention of mobile search— Unique carousel design makes it simple for consumers to
navigate the selection of Yahoo! Go widgets for e-mail, local
information and maps, news, sports, finance, entertainment,
weather, photo sharing and search— Yahoo! oneSearch —
— Completely new mobile search service designed to give consumers
what they want when they are on their mobile phone — instant
answers— Recognizes the intent of a search term and presents relevant
content — not just a list of Web links to PC sites — on the
results page— Results are grouped by subject making it easy to read through
and drill down to get more details— Yahoo! Mail —
— Easily access and manage e-mail messages through the Yahoo!
Mail messaging inbox on the phone, including ability to reply,
delete and compose new messages— Store e-mail messages locally on the device to allow for
offline access— Yahoo! Messenger —
— Send and receive messages, share emoticons, and access the
Yahoo! Messenger friends’ list, just like on the PC— Set presence information to show availability to chat with
friends and family, and view presence information to know when
they are online too— Yahoo! Personal Information Management —
— Never lose the contact information on your mobile phone again
— Synchronize contacts from Yahoo! Address Book and tasks and
events saved on Yahoo! Calendar
Yahoo claims that Samsung will preload and “prominently place” their services onto the phones. Obviously, on the Android front, “with Google” branding is at stake here, but just how “prominently” will they push these services? Will we lose a good amount of Google services altogether? Or will they just be hidden in menus and the app launcher?
I can’t imagine Google not having any type of presence on an Android device (outside of YouTube, for obvious reasons), but maybe I’m just picking at thin air. Press details straight ahead.
Samsung and Yahoo! Form Strategic Partnership for Mobile Phones
Companies Partner to Distribute Yahoo! Services Including Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0 and Yahoo! oneSearch(TM) on New Samsung Mobile Phones WorldwideSEOUL, South Korea & LAS VEGAS, Jan 08, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Samsung, a leading provider and innovator of mobile phones, and Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced a strategic global partnership to distribute Yahoo!’s popular services on millions of new Samsung mobile phones in more than 60 countries. Samsung will pre-load Yahoo! services, including Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0, Yahoo! oneSearch, Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger, on its mobile phones beginning in the first half of 2007. This new relationship is the latest demonstration of the companies’ clear focus on extending their leadership in the mobile Internet.
Samsung has already launched its first mobile handset, the SGH-E570, pre-loaded with Yahoo! Search. Samsung plans to greatly expand the number of its mobile handsets with pre-loaded Yahoo! services in 2007 and will roll out Yahoo! oneSearch after it goes live globally in the coming months.
“Samsung recognizes consumers’ need for Internet access through their mobiles anytime, anywhere,” said Kitae Lee, president of Samsung’s telecommunications network business. “Samsung mobile phones with Yahoo! services will provide consumers with fast and convenient access to the Internet, even on the move. Our successful partnership with Yahoo! builds on Samsung’s continuing efforts to enhance consumers’ mobile experience.”
Through the relationship the companies will also help drive consumer adoption of mobile Internet services by making it easy for consumers to get more done while on the go, such as using the new Yahoo! oneSearch to quickly find the answers they need. Yahoo! oneSearch will also include high-quality sponsored search results, enabling Yahoo! advertisers to reach consumers on their mobile devices.
“Yahoo! has always focused on partnering with leading companies to bring our mobile services to consumers’ fingertips and this new strategic partnership with Samsung is a vital component of that strategy,” said Marco Boerries, senior vice president of connected life, Yahoo!.
[content omitted, included above]
Samsung mobile phones with Yahoo! services will be available to consumers through both mobile operators and direct distribution channels. Consumers around the world can download and use the beta version of Yahoo! Go 2.0 on select Samsung mobile phones beginning today by visiting http://go.yahoo.com.
I don’t know anyone that still uses yahoo. When I look at it, it just feels outdated. Google came and took all of their users and now they are gunning for a return. Honestly, I wouldn’t buy a phone with yahoo instead of Google unless I knew it was rootable and I could install a proper ROM without the Yahoo as soon as I got the phone.
I agree with you Minja. I am interested in the Galaxy S. but as soon as that phone is rootable i would root it and get a ROM with Google. Google is great set of tools. Maps Chat Email search. Google Search is infinitely Better than Yahoo.
@Minja: rooting seems like way to much effort to change a search provider… Hope its just a default setting you can change. Otherwise its a clear deal breaker.
Galaxy S + AT&T = Yahoo! If the phone cannot be rooted then it is an outright fail. Not to mention the fact that Yahoo is the default search provider means that the Galaxy S is NOT a Google Phone. Like the G1, Droid, Nexus One and any other device with the “with Google” logo splashed across the back. Here’s hoping the Galaxy S can be rooted in short order and get it working like it is supposed to.
I wouldn’t buy one, but this looks like great news for getting more Android handsets in China.
I agree with the other comments. I am eyeing the Samsung Galaxy S. But I won’t have any Yahoo crap on it so I will only pick it up when it has a good Rom and is rootable. Maybe EVO has to be the way.
Now we know why AT&T is willing to pick up the Galaxy S. It won’t force them to break their exclusive contract with Yahoo.
I’m looking to get a googlephone, not a yahoophone. sheesh.
No IMAP still?
aaauggghhh… yahoo, get with it will you!!!
I only know one person out of 300 with a yahoo account. Like really?? they should definitely make it for the customer to choose what default search provider. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone doesn’t take this locking down to a court one day.
All Google needs to do is to ensure they have a Google search bar app cum widget in the Market that can work with all versions of their OS from 1.5 onwards. Then, as long as an Android phone is not crippled such that it cannot receive Market, users can just install a Google search bar widget from the Market.
Its not a yahoo phone!!! its still Google’s OS. Yahoo is still playing in Google’s sandbox. I see it as a win for Google. All Yahoo is doing is designing a front end for android, not developing their own OS.
By the way, that press release is from 2007.
Why would I support Yahoo when they are the ones who cut the POP e-mail out of everyones hands??? Yahoo Mail? Yeah right!??? Yahoo doesn’t come close to offering service or experience on par with Google. I’m not a big Google Fan either (Privacy Issues) but I will say they are well a head of the competition. To be different for the sake of being different accomplished nothing. If Samsung/Yahoo brings something INNOVATIVE to the table, then there’s something to look at. Pfffft!
Don’t forget Yahoo is powered by Bing! now
Now the question is. Will this happen to T959 which is the Samsung Galaxy S for T-mobile? It would be nice if they kept the google apps on that one. And I also hope they are coming out with this phone before 16th of May. I need a new phone.
This press release is from CES 2007 and contains no mention of Android phones because Android didn’t exist then…
I am now admittedly confused. Why are we using a press release from 2007 to project a Yahoo/Samsung partnership in the future? I have a Samsung Moment (Sprint) and it’s not all Yahoo’d out. Seeing as how it came out after 2007, you’d think it would be…