Motorola announced yesterday that it will allow mainland users of its Google Android smartphones to opt for Baidu’s search engine instead of Google, Reuters reported. "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 press release. The new Baidu search features will be available on Motorola Android handsets in February. Analysts say the move is intended to minimize Motorola’s exposure to Google’s threat to exit the China search engine market as Motorola’s new generation of handsets are heavily biased toward the Android operating system. Motorola executives pointed out that the Android operating system is an open-source product, so distribution and development are not controlled by Google.
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