Google Is Spared a Search-Engine Switch by a Major Partner | Hacker News Reader

Google Is Spared a Search-Engine Switch by a Major Partner

wsj.com

19 pointsjmsflknr15 comments

> Samsung Electronics won’t be swapping out the default search engine on its smartphones from Google to Microsoft’s Bing any time soon, according to people familiar with the matter.

The tyranny of the default is real. People on this site are perfectly aware it takes three seconds to change it but the great masses don't even think about it and they are worth the money spend to keep this default.

Or perhaps Google is just better than the competition.

Are they?

Narrator; "they are not"

Yes

For some, maybe, not for me. I switched from Google years back and haven’t noticed an appreciable difference in search quality.

Very much so

At normal search, yes miles ahead of bing. Tbh anything is better than bing, brave search with its own index and algorithm in my experience is much better.

Better at leveraging their dominant position. Not so much at search or several other services.

I think this is a matter of opinion. I disagree there

That doesn’t seem to be the case here.

“The South Korean tech giant initially deliberated a search-engine switch, thinking that it wouldn’t substantially change the status quo since the majority of Samsung smartphone users don’t use its in-house Internet app, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. Most users opt for other browsers including Google Chrome, which also comes preinstalled on Samsung phones, they said.”

I’m sure they have internal telemetry that lets them know for sure whose using what.

https://archive.is/cqKr5

"majority of Samsung smartphone users don’t use its in-house Internet app"

Given how horrible the Samsung software is I can't imagine why...

Whenever I use a system that does NOT have google as the default search, I change it to google. When it get's "accidently" changed back by an "upgrade" I change it back. The only people I know not doing that are elderly relatives who cannot learn how, and I do it for them every few months. The idea that defaults are important for market share (and not just as a way for people to intentionally piss off their own users) is outdated I am afraid.

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