Microsoft just launched Bing a few weeks ago with lots of fanfare and media coverage. Already the service has gained market share, but it seems that Microsoft is ready to be in the mobile field as well. But, unlike the Internet site which received an extreme makeover, the mobile client might simply be a rebadging if these screenshots are true.
These screenshots come from an April-build of the Bing mobile app. (Kumo was the codename for Bing, btw) It should look familiar as, well, it’s basically Live Search. That’s not all bad though. Live Search isn’t a bad app. In fact it had voice search and location-based services a while before Google’s app did.
The real news here is that the app should be available in BREW and Sidekick devices when it launches shortly. Plus, Verizon is going to build the service directly into all its BREW-supported devices starting in November, which could be huge for the service.
Integrated search is a must for Bing mobile. Google has it on the browser-side, being the default search engine in Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. But if Microsoft can get more wireless providers and hardware manufacturers to include the Bing mobile app into the phone, the service might have a fighting chance in the mobile world.
Hopefully, the app will launch with a refreshed look too instead of this simple rebadging that we’re seeing now. Hopefully.