Verizon Wireless Scores Bing Android App FirstVerizon Wireless Scores Bing Android App First

Verizon Wireless Android customers have a new search option if Google Search isn't their thing. Thanks to a deal between Verizon and Microsoft, Verizon's Android customers can now use Bing.

The free application, which will be pre-installed on all new Verizon Android handsets, is free to download for all existing customers through the Verizon channel in the Android Market.

According to Microsoft, the new application for Android offers many of the same features Bing has on the Web and other handsets. The home page displays the Bing image of the day, and lets users swipe through the previous seven days' worth of daily images if they happen to miss one.

It also offers Bing Maps. With Bing Maps, users can search maps, route driving directions, and look up traffic information. Microsoft says the app uses on-board GPS to automatically locate the users' handset and provide locally relevant search results.

Users can set up and maintain lists of favorites, which lets users retrieve search and/or mapping data at a later time when needed.

Bing for Android offers instant answers to commonplace questions, such as flight status checks, local business listings and so on.

Microsoft was sure to include a voice search tool, as well. Simply search for "movies" and the application will, for example, show users local movie listings and theaters that are nearby.

Verizon Wireless already has a Bing app available to its BlackBerry handsets. Microsoft didn't say if or when Bing for Android would be available to Android devices running on different networks.