Microsoft brings Bing Rewards to Android and iOS but Not Windows Phone

[jlzimmerman]

This is what drives me f**king crazy. Support your own platform FIRST!

http://www.windowscentral.com/bing-rewards-android-ios-coming-soon-windows-phone

Microsoft today launched the Bing Rewards program on Android and iOS, promising that it was “coming soon” to Windows Phone devices. To access the mobile version, just point your browser to bing.com/rewards on your device.

Bing Rewards launched in September 2010 as part of Microsoft’s strategy to increase its search market share. The tool lets users earn credits while searching, and then redeem them for goods and other products, as the company explains:
Bing Rewards was designed to help you discover ways Bing can help you do the things that are most important to you. It allows us to recognize and appreciate our most consistent, loyal users with additional perks as a way of saying thanks for choosing Bing.

Today’s launch means Bing Rewards now offers credits whether you are searching from a PC, tablet, or mobile device. Redeeming credits isn’t available on mobile: you still need to login on a PC via a Microsoft Account or Facebook, and select offers. You can earn items like gift cards from Amazon.com, Xbox Live, Fandango, and Starbucks, the chance to enter a sweepstakes, and the opportunity to give back by donating to local schools or charities.

Microsoft promises it will be extending “nearly all of the Bing Rewards features our members love on the PC” to mobile over the next several months. That’s great and all, but we can’t but notice the company couldn’t get Windows Phone support ready in time for today’s launch, and it’s not the first time either. Would it have killed the company to wait until it can roll out Bing Rewards on all three mobile platforms?

Exactly!

 

[Slater_GS]

Wow, just wow.
This has been something I have been wanting on my WP from the beginning and they pull this crap again.
It better be a part of the built in search with the updates coming to the OS level soon.

 

[DBDev]

I agree, they should support WP first, and they should also try to get it out to more countries. It should make me use Bing a lot more if it was available in Sweden :wink:

 

[Lance_WPCentral]

Microsoft is gone insane !! They ought to cater to their users first and then go to other platforms. Addressing other platforms first seriously sucks for WP users. Very poor move by MS absolutely.

 

[Zulfigar]

Must be coming soon in 8.1, so it'll be built into the OS

 

[theefman]

Microsoft ALWAYS does this. No wonder WP gets crappy betas when the OS maker, after 3 years on the market, still doesn't put their own platform first.

 

[5150 Joker]

This is MS signaling to everyone that even they consider WP third rate and not worth prioritizing. Yup I should have stayed with Android.

Sent from my Yellow Nokia 1520 (RM-937)

 

[erzhik]

Seriously? How will die hard Microsoft fans defend them now? I love my WP, but this is ridiculous. I get that Bing is integrated into WP, but if you are going to make a website for iOS and Android, why not do it for WP as well?
No wonder why other devs make WP their third and last priority, when makers of WP themselves don't give a s**t about their own creation.

 

[kc77]

The little things like this honestly make me consider if my next phone will be a Windows device

 

[radmanvr]

Yeah idk what to say but looking from a developer perspective it should be fairly easier to tackle the 2 operating system that is built on a linux kernal first

 

[Slater_GS]

Yeah idk what to say but looking from a developer perspective it should be fairly easier to tackle the 2 operating system that is built on a linux kernal first

Personally I don't care how much harder/easier it is for MS to develop for their system.
It should be their number 1 priority EVERY time, not their 3rd priority.
If they finish development for iOS and Android, but not WP, then hold the release until WP is finished. That simple. This goes for Skype, Bing, Office, Xbox, etc.
WP will be my next for at least this next phone, but MS is taking its sweet old time and it is beginning to get old for an early adopter.

 

[HeyCori]

Let's not forget, Bing on iOS and Android is an app. Microsoft can update it whenever they want.

Bing on Windows Phone is baked into the OS itself.

Updating Bing requires updating the OS which requires carrier approval. Hopefully there's some sort of server side workaround that MS can implement to bypass carrier approval.

Microsoft is at the mercy of carriers here. Much like the recent Xbox Music/Video app, Microsoft will have to start un-baking their apps if they want faster updates. I personally prefer that method because carrier restrictions have been a thorn in Microsoft's side since Windows Phone 7.

 

[isi mcf]

My only opinion in it is that if they wanted to do this, release Bing for other devices after wp8.1. Even if that means not releasing it for a few months. I'd rather them not release it then to release it with a coming soon for windows phone

 

[SnailUK]

Let's not forget, Bing on iOS and Android is an app. Microsoft can update it whenever they want.

Then give us an app whilst we are waiting, rather than alienating your userbase, like they obviously have.

 

[stmav]

Is it really an app or just access to a mobile version? The only thing I see mentioned in the article is to go to the mobile version at bing.com/rewards. I tried it on my 920 and it worked just fine. If I wanted to I could just make a tile and launch it instead of the search button and get my rewards.

 

[HeyCori]

Then give us an app whilst we are waiting, rather than alienating your userbase, like they obviously have.

Personally I'd rather MS not waste the resources creating an separate app that only a tiny fraction of the user base will use. I use Bing Rewards, Gold member actually, but I'd rather MS design Bing so that it can be updated with server side changes.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

I think I may actually be switching to the iPhone. I'm a bit offended as a supporter of windows phone to see the creator essentially telling us we have to wait for this feature while competitors get it.

After windows phone 8.1, if nothing major happens with Microsoft and windows phone in a positive way, I am dropping them and moving over to apple. This is insulting tbh.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Also anyone who is really making excuses for Microsoft delaying this for windows phone is laughable to me.

 

[HeyCori]

Is it really an app or just access to a mobile version? The only thing I see mentioned in the article is to go to the mobile version at bing.com/rewards. I tried it on my 920 and it worked just fine. If I wanted to I could just make a tile and launch it instead of the search button and get my rewards.

It was my understanding that Bing on iOS/Android had an independent app in addition to the normal web page. I'll grab a iPad and test it out.

 

[stmav]

It was my understanding that Bing on iOS/Android had an independent app in addition to the normal web page. I'll grab a iPad and test it out.

Thanks, I couldn't find any mention of an app, just a mobile website. I don't have any ios or android devices to check.