Baidu replaces Google as default search engine on Motorola Android phones in China

The tension between Google’s censorship in China continues to boil over to handset partners who are wedged in between the battle.  Motorola doesn’t want to sit around waiting any longer until the conflict is over – instead they are giving Chinese consumers the option to use an alternate default search engine on their Android smartphones. Instead of using Google Search, Motorola has replaced it with the popular Chinese search engine Baidu. In addition to that offering, Motorola is also launching its own SHOP4APPS application marketplace.  It’s unclear as to how this move will impact Motorola’s relationship with Google in China. Reuters was told by Motorola that it’s not uncommon for it to replace the default search engine on phones with ones that are dependent on the country where it’s being sold.

source: Reuters via Mobileburn