Microsoft and Amazon have confirmed that Bing (not Google? Gasp!) will be the default search engine used on the new Kindle tablets. The first edition of the Kindle Fire favoured Google.
The new Kindle Fire is expected to fly off of the virtual shelves and it’s likely that several million units will be shifted given Amazon’s aggressive pricing.
Of course, you can install an alternative browser if Bing doesn’t float your boat. Opera, Maxthon and Dolphin are currently available and we expect that Chrome and Firefox will be available too. However, the majority of consumers will use the pre-installed default Silk browser with Bing.
It’s is rumoured and Amazon and Nokia have also shaken hands on a deal to use Nokia’s mapping services. But why wouldn’t Amazon use the mapping service that is already available through Bing? So far we have seen no further discussion on this rumour, but it made us wonder more about Amazon’s plans for the Fire device in the future. Using a mobile provider for maps? Could there be an Amazon Fire phone in the offing?
It’s interesting that Amazon have decided to use Bing. It highlights the reality that the mobile search market is becoming more competitive. But is Amazon pushing the boundaries too far? Google diehards will certainly be the first to install Chrome on the new Fire devices and we doubt that switching from Google to Bing will make much of a difference to the number of devices sold.
We also suspect that big money was at stake here. Is Microsoft paying Amazon? It’s almost certain and with the Amazon fire expected to give the Apple iPad a real run for its money, it sounds like it could be a good move for the software giant.
Amazon Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD will be released in the UK on 25th October. We’re reserving ours now!
