Could Google Search return on the Fascinate with Froyo?

[danDroid]

If your not digging the idea of being forced to use Bing Search on the Samsung Fascinate, your not alone. This bit of news might bring you a sigh of relief. According to a recent post on Electronista, a Google Search option will return when the Fascinate receives the Android 2.2 (Froyo) update. This information was direct from Brenda Raney, a spokeswoman for Verizon.

The absence of Google search on the Samsung Fascinate will be fixed when the phone gets Android 2.2, Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney told Electronista today. She asserted it was an "incorrect assumption" that Verizon had blocked the app and that it was allegedly only available once a given phone was upgraded to 2.2. --- "Google is responsible for what is in [Android Market]," she claimed, adding in a follow-up statement that "we're not blocking anything."

Check out the entire article here: Verizon: Google Search optional for Fascinate on Android 2.2 | Electronista

 

[oshizo]

phew that's great news. i was totally pissed and was thinking of switching carriers all together, although i can root.

 

[Bob Dammit]

Looks like damage control to me. Good to hear though.

 

[cleopete]

For once I wasn't inclined to blame Verizon anyway, why would they care who's search engine you use?

 

[Martin030908]

It's only 1 phone, I couldn't see how it would be worth leaving Verizon over.

 

[bsweetness]

For once I wasn't inclined to blame Verizon anyway, why would they care who's search engine you use?

They might care which one was usable on the phone if they had worked out a deal with Microsoft to do so. A deal of some sort was made, but the specifics are increasingly unclear.

 

[rick.james]

what about VzNavigator...

It seems like Verizon may have made a play to force customers to purchase VZNavigator by hobbling the device's ability to install Google's turn by turn navigation. It's hard to believe this was android's fault. Just a thought...

-Rick

 

[wmnomore]

^No it's never google's fault. Why would they want their search gone?
Ultimately, the phone's functionality is worked out by verizon. if there is a change in the way android runs, it is due to verizon's alterations. I hope that we don't have to complain about missing core functionality each time a device is released. This will get really old for us techies and will force me to look into alternatives.
This sounds like damage repair. Pleeeeaassee leave android alone. I'm talking to verizon and the manufacturers on this one.

 

[rick.james]

Bought my daughter a Droid Facinate which had the Bing integration and while I thought I would be disappointed, I was wrong... They did a nice job with it and I can't find a single negative with the exception of lacking spoken turn by turn directions. I even downloaded the Bing app on my Droid X for fun and some of the experiences are superior such as image search. The resulting images can be flipped one to the next with a flick of the finger as opposed to being required to click the forward and backward arrows like on google.

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