Motorola deploys Microsoft's Bing on Android smartphones in China
With Google's future in China uncertain, Motorola and Microsoft cut a deal to put the software giant's Bing search engine on Android handsets in China.
In a statement late Wednesday, Motorola and Microsoft announced a deal to put Bing on handsets. Bing will first launch in China in the first quarter via an over-the-air update for existing handsets. New Android devices will have Bing preloaded.
The news comes as Google is nearing a decision on whether to stay in China amid security and censorship issues.
Motorola will give its users a pre-loaded Bing bookmark and search widget. Motorola says the Bing deal is about choice, but it's really about a distribution deal with Microsoft. And if Google's search is somehow hampered in China, Motorola needs a backup.
Microsoft's Bing has been on a tear as it has taken market share from search partner Yahoo for months. Here's a look at the latest search market share standings from comScore.
