What effect will Apple’s choice of Bing for Siri in iOS 7 have on Google?

Microsoft must be pretty happy with Apple’s decision to include Bing as the default search engine powered web results in Apple’s revamped Siri application heading to iOS 7 this fall. However, what does this all mean for Google? It could very well signal Apple’s increasing desire to cut its reliance on services powered by its biggest competitor in the smartphone space.

Before iOS 7, searching for something with Siri would often turn up the option to search for web results. Doing so would give you results through Safari using your default search engine (which by default is set to Google). Now, in iOS 7, web results will be displayed right in the Siri app, however, they will be powered by Microsoft’s Bing– and not Google. 

"Surprise: Apple’s Siri adopts Microsoft @Bing for web search" http://t.co/fHXrpjZOoD via @GeekWire

— Microsoft Stories and News (@MSFTnews) June 10, 2013

It already happened with Maps… We learned previously that Apple and Google couldn’t come to terms on continuing to include Google Maps as the default Maps app in iOS 6, which of course lead to the creation of Apple’s own, in-house Maps app. We’ve also heard that Apple has considered using a default search engine other than Google in its mobile Safari app– which would presumably be a big hit to Google’s bottom line for mobile search revenue as the company has already admitted that its deal with Apple to be the default search in Safari currently brings in around 2/3rds of Google’s total mobile search.

“Making sure customers can have access to the power of Bing where and when they need it has been a big focus of the work we have done over the past few years, and we are excited to work with Apple to deliver it to Siri users this fall.”- Microsoft Bing VP Derrick Connell.

Siri might not be a huge component in the mobile search business yet, but if Apple truly believes Siri is the future of search, and it catches on with users, Bing is going to be at an incredible advantage as the default option for web results through Siri in iOS 7. This is also a good sign of how easily it will be for Apple to ditch Google as the default search engine in Safari once its deal is up.

It’s worth noting that you’ll still be able to make a Google search using Siri in iOS 7. Commanding Siri to “Search Google” for something specific will do so (just like before, in the browser), but it’s likely most users will simply use the built-in Bing search if it works well.