“Google, which has seen its share of the U.S. search market already decline after being replaced in the Firefox web browser three months ago, is facing an even bigger threat should Apple also oust it from the iconic computer maker’s widely used Safari browser,” Jenn Van Grove reports for TheStreet. “‘What we’ve seen with Firefox on the desktop … has really caused a shift that hasn’t happened before,’ StatCounter founder Aodhan Cullen said. ‘This is the first time we’ve seen something that has actually moved the needle, and given Yahoo! share and taken share away from Google.’ This suggests an even bigger loss to Google — ‘significant’ to use Cullen’s word — if Apple decides not to renew its search contract with Google, which is said to expire early this year.”
“‘Apple and Google and clearly rival companies in several areas, and I think it’s entirely possible that… Safari could replace Google in the very near-term feature as the default search engine,’ Altimeter Group analyst Rebecca Lieb said,” Van Grove reports. “A Nomura analyst estimated in a January research note that Google is poised to collect $8.8 billion in gross mobile search revenue from Apple this year. Both Yahoo! and Microsoft are actively pitching Apple to take over the coveted contract, according to news outlet The Information.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Push that big red button Steve left you, Tim!
Google’s going to rue the day they got greedy by deciding to try to work against Apple instead of with them. – MacDailyNews, March 9, 2010
Related articles:
Yahoo gains further US search share; Google falls below 75% for first time – February 3, 2015
Microsoft, Yahoo vie to become Apple Safari’s default search option – November 26, 2014
Firefox dumps Google for default U.S. search, switches to Yahoo/Bing – November 20, 2014
I’ve used Yahoo on my Mac, Phone and iPad for the last year and one half. I don’t miss Google, but they are just as snoopy. I don’t feel Duck Duck Go is as good. I wish Apple would do their own search without an advertiser based model.
Yes moved to Yahoo and only occasionally have to revert to Google now. As you say DDG isn’t quite up to it at present.
Apple could do that, like they did Maps, but there will probably be one serious problem: like Maps, they might limit access to people using Apple devices.
Not making it available to all users lets them operate with less resources and overhead, so it costs less and there’s not as much pressure for the business unit to be self-sustaining (e.g. less need to make money via ads, etc), but it also weakens the overall results if only Apple users are are contributing to relevancy scores via click-through of search results.
Apple provides all kinds of software that is available only to Apple devices… the operating systems for a start. I don’t think providing an Apple only search engine would actually be a problem, especially if they went the route of purchasing DDG and improving it.
You failed to understand the point entirely.
For Maps, fewer people are reporting problems or new info (not that Apple/TomTom sees fit to update things quickly anyway; a major new bridge in my area still doesn’t exist in Apple/TomTom Maps).
For search, you’ll run into the same problem people are saying about DuckDuckGo now: nice, but results are fewer and not as relevant to them.
Operating systems and apps/services like Photos or iCloud are competitive advantages for a particular ecosystem, that make people want to buy into it.
Maps and Search are data sources. Limiting these to Apple users means both are *less comprehensive* and thus less valuable data sources. People are *not* buying into the ecosystem based on Maps, or a supposed Apple search engine.
Safari is Apple products only now, yet it generates $8.8 BILLION in ad revenue for Google. For the December quarter just ended Google reported $14.48 BILLION. Safari ad revenue represents ~12% of Google’s total year revenue. Losing that would seriously hurt Google. I see a change coming this year.
No one can match Google’s algorithms. They’ve just gathered too much info from too many people, for too long. They see deep connections that other Search companies just cannot see.
So for Apple to get into Search will require a leapfrog, meaning they cannot compete with Google in the arena that Google built.
What is a leapfrog in Search? I’m not sure, but my best guess is natural language, Siri-based, deeply personal search. That is, if Apple can lay deep roots into your own information (spotlight already does this), and then make intelligent connections and predictions (e.g. you’re a landscape architect, and some of your documents refer to yew bushes, therefore when you ask, “What bush is related to yew?” it comes up as I’ve just written instead of, “What Bush (last name) is related to you?”)
Apple could do this. The contextual information that Spotlight knows about you, when combined with iCloud info, and maybe other types of information (immediate family, when allowed?) could be really powerful. Also it might make up for the lack of super-deep internet info, and require only pretty deep internet info, which Apple could develop with spiders or even buy or rent from the likes of Bing or Yahoo.
Totally agree. I think it’s a bit of wishful thinking for Apple to dump Google quite yet for search. I think it will be a slow progression of relying on Google search less and less over time.
It has to start sometime.
I totally agree. I’ve opened the same searches in multiple tabs with different search engines, and Google really does operate a superior service. Not only do the results tend to be more relevant (once you ignore the sponsored links,) and the interface (particularly for image search) is better looking and easier to navigate.
Of course, this all stinks for those of us that dislike/ distrust Google, but it is what it is.
I wish there was a setting to just turn off ads on my phone.
I think we’d all like our ad-free cake and eat it too.
Once upon a time Apple allowed this. Developers could offer freeware, shareware, trialware, software rental, or even financing programs. But now you really can’t try out software without ads. More and more, apps are also removing user management tools and pushing automated iCloud use. That sounds great until your data needs prompt Apple and your ISP to gouge you with a monthly bill.
iCloud $erver rental is obviously Apple’s strategy for forcing $ubscription-based computing.
Duck Duck Go is good. What it doesn’t do is pull all the non-essential ads that Gaagle does. DDG is the way to go!
Can’t agree. My own experience is that DDG doesn’t find essential links.
… But it keeps getting better! As a daily user of DDG, I notice!
I continue to use DDG but it’s got a long way to go. I will be more impressed with DDG when it starts putting an effort into listing correct links like official companies and organizations first instead of always posting Yelp, review sites, Wikipedia, and internet repeater hit whore sites as the first listings.
It’d be great to go both Google-free and Yelp-free, but Apple’s certainly not shown good progress in figuring out its strategy.
As much as I hate Google Maps, it is undeniable that Apple Maps interface, errors, and features are all vastly inferior, with Apple doing a very poor job correcting user-prompted corrections. If Apple can’t even get Maps right, what makes anyone think they could get search correct?
I know what you mean. But the DDG project listens and gradually implements new and better features. As for Yelp, I keep a bag of salt handy. I’ve had them censor entirely sincere bad reviews I’ve posted, which is entirely contrary to their manifesto. They’ve also been caught essentially taking bribes, or more like demanding bribes, for those special businesses they toss on their preferred list. 😛 And Apple: I’ve never figured out how the owners of the great FileMaker Pro can’t integrate better databases and search systematics into their own OS X/iOS software. Apparently, it takes a motivated mastermind to get them off the tuffet, kill the spider and leap into decent search technology. I don’t now what to make of Apple Maps as it was all wrapped up in that Scott Forstall stuff. It clearly was nothing more than betaware when it hit the streets, one of Apple greatest bungles. I would suspect that having Forstall removed had tainted the project, work culturally speaking. I’ve seen that scenario before. It’s not motivational.
This is not only probable but inevitable and Schmidt/Page have to see it comin’ due to their abuse of Apple friendship and trust aka betrayals. Diminishing Google Search revenues and market share, dropping premium Google Android sales suggest a very slow thermonuclear response, but effective nonetheless. I would think by year’s end Google stock, profits, market share and standing will take a serious blow. Their reversal of fortunes has begun.
One thing is for sure. Tim Cook will put together the right deal for Apple. I have come to respect TC in his handling of Samdung. Even though they have been bitter enemies in court and consumer markets, TC knows he needs to buy the best components for Apple. That same pragmatism I would expect to see here as well.
Yes. Death by 1000 cuts. As effective as thermonuclear. But more precise.
Put a “big bag of hurt” on Android, and it will also hurt Samsung.
And THAT, we like, we LIKE!!! 😉
D.D.G. If you know what that means.
lol siverhawk1 already said it. 😛
Like everyone here so far DDG. I’ve been suggesting this to all my family and friends on their Mac and iOS stuff. Also FLASH is removed on my Mac.
I’ve not used Google for years now.
I’ve already stopped using Google because I get the stupid server disconnect error when clicking on Google search links. Did the same for Yahoo too. The only one that works right now is Bing. Maybe it’s because of the number of redirects that Yahoo and Google use – I’m not sure.
Bing is okay but I do miss Google.
As long as Apple lets the user define the search engine it is no B.F.D. If Apple can do a better job, by all means bring it on.
Eric Schmidt is going to be Tim Cook’s bitch for a while. Hope he doesn’t mind doing general household chores and garden maintenance.
I can’t wait to hear pompous Eric Schmidt say how Apple removing Google as the the default search engine means nothing to Google or him despite the fact that Yahoo has gained search engine market share since Mozilla dumped Google Search. I want to see Google investors squirm a bit after believing that Google is invulnerable to any other search engine.
Schmidt is GREAT at disingenuous spins when they are suffering disadvantage. Looks like he will have to keep honing those Spin Doctor skills in the months and years ahead as their profile and status dwindle with time.
I just wish that Google’s search results weren’t so much better than the competition. I have DuckDuckGo set as my default, but I always end up manually going to Google to get the results that I expect.
Too late! I already dumped Google from Safari. Here’s how:
https://extensions.apple.com/details/?id=com.duckduckgo.safari-HKE973VLUW
Use IXQUICK!
Best, clean, private search engine out there, bar none…
(Europeans already know this…)