Baidu Squeezing Google Out On Chinese Android Phones

Open source is a double-edged thing. Whereas the free and “open” Android platform has been a boon to Google in most places around the globe, in China the story is apparently different. The Next Web reports (based on third party information) that the general manager of Baidu’s wireless unit claimed 80 percent of Android-based handsets […]

Chat with SearchBot

Screen Shot 2011 04 27 At 11.07.24 AMOpen source is a double-edged thing. Whereas the free and “open” Android platform has been a boon to Google in most places around the globe, in China the story is apparently different.

The Next Web reports (based on third party information) that the general manager of Baidu’s wireless unit claimed 80 percent of Android-based handsets in China will soon have Baidu as default search engine. Baidu currently controls more than three-fourths of the Chinese PC search market.

The company is working with handset OEMs to get Baidu pre-installed on Chinese Android smartphones. If the company is successful and lives up to its prediction, Google will be marginalized in the world’s biggest internet and mobile markets.

China has almost 900 million mobile users, about three times the entire US population.

Android was to be a way that Google could regain momentum after being all but pushed out of the PC search market by Chinese government favoritism of Baidu and hacking.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Greg Sterling
Contributor
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land, a member of the programming team for SMX events and the VP, Market Insights at Uberall.

Get the must-read newsletter for search marketers.