Overview:
Bing Search is the Microsoft equivalent of the Google app and features a search engine and a proto-web browser that allows you to utilize Bing to search the web in style.
Developer: Microsoft
Cost: Free
Impressions:
Bing is Microsoft’s answer to Google and it’s juggernaut of a search engine. Bing has some neat tricks that try to set it apart, and it prioritizes results differently than Google, trying to get the information most relevant to you near the top. The app itself is an attractive, smooth experience, as expected from Microsoft with their trend towards a modern metro UI. The main screen features a selection of categories for you to search in, as well as a large “Search” button. The search menu brings you to a familiar search page, with the option to search privately, as well as use your voice to search or identify music. The voice detection is solid, but the lack of Cortana, Microsoft’s voice assistant, is pretty disappointing.
The Bing search app also has a news crawl, that features cards of news from different categories that the app deems is relevant to you based on your search history similar to Google Now. The ongoing theme of this review is the comparison to Google, especially since it’s for Android. The question really boils down to how it compares to Google and it’s built-in integration into Android, and if it offers enough to really make you want to use it over Google at all.
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I’d have to say no, it can’t really compete on Android with Google, simply because Google search is so deeply integrated into the OS that Bing just can’t offer the same convenience. Admittedly, the Bing results compared to my Google results of the same searches are fairly comparable, but not so much in Bing’s favor to really say I’d prefer it.
Bing also integrates the actually robust Rewards system, which gives you points for doing searches and completing challenges that you can redeem for real life prizes like gift cards. The Microsoft Rewards program is the best thing about Bing by far, with tangible rewards that I’d actually use just for searching on Bing.
Conclusion:
I will say that if you’re a hardcore Windows ecosystem user, who prefers Edge to Chrome and buys into the Windows Store and Cortana for your everyday use, then Bing is an excellent app. It’s well designed and slick looking while acting as a solid and very usable search engine and browser that saves your searches across platforms and provides curated content. The Rewards program is worth the price of admission alone, even if you only use it for that, it’s certainly not a bad reason to use Bing. Everyone likes free stuff that’s easy to get. At any rate, give Bing a look just to get a different flavor of search from your phone.
Download Bing Search on the Google Play Store