Verizon created a stir this week as word spread it was replacing Google search with Microsoft Bing on Android handsets. The irony was thick that Google’s big competitor in search would replace its product on smartphones based on its own platform. Initial reports had all of Verizon’s future Android phones getting the Bing treatment, but the company quickly responded that only some of them will lose Google’s search. The Verizon Bing partnership is the result of a $ 500 million deal the company entered into with Microsoft last year to promote Bing on its network.
Samsung has created a popular smartphone line with the Galaxy S series and is selling them all over the globe. It has already shipped 3 million Galaxy S phones, an impressive number for such a young product line. While the line consists of several different models, they are all similar with a few minor tweaks. This creates a solid base for Samsung to appeal to customers (and carriers) world-wide with various handsets, while retaining the cost benefits of a single product line. Samsung has in essence duplicated the cost benefits that Apple enjoys with the single iPhone line. It’s a recipe for success in a hectic smartphone business.
Related GigaOM Pro Research (sub req’d): To Ship or Not to Ship — Product Launch in the Smartphone Era
