San Francisco: Motorola has said that China buyers of its Android-driven smartphones can opt for local search engine Baidu instead of Google, the Internet giant behind the mobile software platform.
"Users will be able to select their search experience from a number of providers, including Baidu and others, with whom Motorola has signed strategic agreements," Motorola said in a release.
Google has vowed to stop filtering search results as required by law in China and may be forced to pull out of that country as a result.
Motorola announced the "new feature" on Android handsets along with the launch of a China smartphone application store called Zhi-Jian-Yuan, translated to "Place for Apps Wisdom" in English.
"By providing them a choice in their applications and services, Motorola is letting consumers in China customise the way they experience the power of the mobile Internet," China Telecom said in a release.
The "SHOP4APPS" service and the search capabilities through Baidu will be available pre-loaded on Android handsets or as "over-the-air" updates by China's New Year's Day in mid February, according to Motorola.
"We want phones to reflect our lifestyle and our choices," China Unicom said in a release.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, January 22, 2010, 09:44