Apple's Eddy Cue Explains Why Google is iPhone's Default Search Engine

[Kar98]

ONE feature I miss from my Google phones: the automated number lookup when somebody not in your address book calls. It's like an automated googling and displaying the number. With built in spam indicator!

None of the caller ID apps in the app store actually work.

 

[webkit]

You can't even use quotes to find exact matches anymore, they're straight up ignored by default, and if you force it it'll often give zero results.

Quotes (and other "advanced search" options) still work for exact word or phrase Google search results.

 

[Kar98]

Honestly half the time I search on Reddit now. Tired of the google manipulation for paid business to show up first (pair reviewers included).

Yeah because there is none of THAT on reddit LOL

 

[neuropsychguy]

‘Great business’ So it’s one big circlejerk and everyone's happy.

Ever heard of privacy concerns? I'm happy to go with ‘not quite as good’ (i.e. DDG) if the search engine isn't trying to prise every fact about my income/health/status/whereabouts/Trotskyite affiliations/behaviour each time I touch my Mac. See also Little Snitch for what Google reports when you're not even active on your Mac...

Can't you change the default search engine if you're concerned about that?

 

[gund1234]

every company wants to make money, but that's not the only goal though, there are lot of variables they take into consideration before deciding anything.

 

[gund1234]

We all know why Eddy. It's what makes your company's stance on privacy & security complete ********

you have the option to change it as soon as you set up.

 

[gund1234]

What a lie, it’s a duopoly partnership on purpose, a.k.a cartel, there is no need to make Google the default browser search engine except for duopoly partnership purposes, simply as that.

Let the user choose on the first startup, and add a customizable search URL were users can pass the search variable to any search engine they prefer.

how is this a cartel when you have option to choose what ever you want.
if Apple did't allow users to change search engine then i agree with you.

 

[gund1234]

Taking money from google to set their search engine that uses our data as default = selling our data.

change it before you search, done, you are not giving data to Google.

 

[gund1234]

I love that Apple negotiated a search deal that allows us to Google things without signing in. Yes there's a monetary incentive for Apple, but they have really come down hard on the side of privacy by giving us full access to Google without sign in. This is a win for consumers.

stop complaining, you can change this in less than one min.

 

[josselinco]

Subtext : Google is the best right now, doesn't mean we aren't working on Apple Search 😶‍🌫️

 

[sack_peak]

The same reason all the other browsers do it, for the money💰💰💰

That's why many people work... for the money💰💰💰

 

[sani_atl]

maybe apple should pay them to allow iPhone users to get gmail pushed in the mail app

 

[ErikGrim]

I've finally switched to Bing. Google has become cesspool of ads and SEO gunk.

 

[Naraxus]

you have the option to change it as soon as you set up.

You've missed the point entirely

 

[dwaite]

Exactly this.

Blackmail - er, business negotiation. More than 50% of search traffic comes from IOS devices - Apple had them buy the balls with idle threats because ain't no one gonna Bing.

Apple has surfaced Bing search results in places (such as Siri). You gotta suspect that Microsoft is the party that is making Google bids go up.

 

[subjonas]

These people make me regret buying Apple products. "We make Google be the default search engine because we've always thought it was the best," added Cue. "We pick the best one and let users easily change it."

In exchange for a dump truck full of money.

Who cares if Apple gets a dump truck full of money. I’m more interested in whether the statements you quoted are true, and in my experience they are. Does Apple getting money somehow change that?

 

[VisceralRealist]

Google is definitely not as good as it used to be, but I still find it better than the alternatives.

I tried using DuckDuckGo for a while, but I found it so frequently showed incorrect business hours for various places (including some hours out-of-date by over 3 years) that I just gave up. (Turns out looking up businesses is a lot of what I use a search engine for).

 

[subjonas]

That does not make sense. If Apple chose Google, because it is the best search engine, why would Google still have to pay billions of dollars to Apple then?

because if google didnt apple would go into the space themselves and that would be the end of google.

Skyscraperfan, it’s a good thoughtful question, unlike the knee jerk comments that fill up these threads. I wonder the same thing. Tgwaste’s explanation seems like it could have some merit. Perhaps Apple was considering buying a search engine at some point and Google basically paid them not to in order to avoid losing iPhone users as ad targets.

 

[Razorpit]

Yeah, Apple need it so baaaad.

You think they have a limit on how much they want to make?

Compensation for the top levels of the management team is based on the financial health of the organization. At what point did you tell your employer, “We need to stop making money because I have enough.”?

 

[subjonas]

I use DDG most of the time, but I don’t find it’s as good as Google’s results. But I prefer DDG’s privacy and I figure the results should get better the more people use it, so I try to use it.

 

[bgillander]

First you have to define the term data.
Yes, Apple does not sell the users owned data to google, but that way Apple „sells“ indirectly user statistics, preferences to Google, which helps Google to optimize their ad business, and attract more customers to their ad business. And with Apples browser engine dictation on iOS, and Google as the default search engine, it’s a duopoly with the sole purpose to anticompetitively control the mobile web browser and search engine market. That way newcomer search engines and browsers have zero chances to compete with Apple and Google, and thus the circle closes.

Duopoly/Cartel

“indirectly user statistics”?

 

[bgillander]

I love that Apple negotiated a search deal that allows us to Google things without signing in. Yes there's a monetary incentive for Apple, but they have really come down hard on the side of privacy by giving us full access to Google without sign in. This is a win for consumers.

stop complaining, you can change this in less than one min.

You might want to reread that post, as it seems like a compliment, not a complaint. And I don’t think he can change Safari in a minute to force you to log into Google to search, and that is a good thing.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

If they're the best search engine and Apple want the best experience, why exchange money? Ohhhh, because it IS about the money.

 

[svish]

The only reason will be the amount of cash from Google coming in every year.

 

[cicalinarrot]

change it before you search, done, you are not giving data to Google.

I’ve done it, of course. But that’s exactly the point of the default engine, most people won’t change it and that’s why Apple sells the privilege to Google. And “it’s the best browser” is just a pathetic excuse.