Yahoo Adds Search to Aviate Launcher

[Brad]

Yahoo has added search to its Android launcher Aviate.  This is getting interesting Aviate both competes and compliments Google Now for contextual assistance. Both are still useable.

it seemed only right to ask Daiss whether or not this launcher was a sign of the times - whether or not Yahoo would eventually release their own smartphone.

"Right now," said Daiss, "we're focused on building the best possible experience for Android smartphone users."

http://www.slashgear.com/aviate-android-launcher-the-yahoo-experience-24360540/

More:

http://searchengineland.com/yahoo-rolls-search-android-launcher-aviate-211618

Techcrunch talks about the importance of being able to launch Yahoo search on android without having to open a browser:

http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/22/yahoo-aviate-can-now-search-for-apps-contacts-and-the-web-without-launching-a-browser/

It's going to be an uphill battle to get wide adoption, like trying to get browser users to change the default, but if Aviate offers a significantly better UI on Android that might help a lot.  It sounds like you get the best of both worlds, since you can also use Google Now while using Aviate launcher and maybe get a better more contextual UI.

Hmm.