Overshadowed by Sprint and Clearwire’s announcement was the news earlier this week that Sprint and Google have also extended their mobile relationship. As part of the deal, Google will become Sprint's preferred mobile search provider and Sprint users will have easier access to Google’s mobile mapping application, YouTube and more.
“Our partnership with Google is a great example of how Sprint is making the mobile Internet experience even more customer-friendly and useful to our customers,” Kevin Packingham, vice president of product management at Sprint, said in a statement.
Doug Garland, vice president of product management at Google, said in the same statement: “Google and Sprint have a lot in common when it comes to our vision for the mobile Web. We both believe in openness and providing compelling, easy-to-use mobile services that consumers can use every day. We look forward to working together to deliver a great experience.”
Along with mobile search, mapping and YouTube, Google and Sprint also said that, going forward, they will continue to explore ways to provide users with “compelling” mobile experiences and more application choices.
Google is also a major investor in Sprint’s WiMAX venture with Clearwire.