Baidu Advances on China Mobile Search
Google’s (GOOG) Android operating system is well liked by gadget enthusiasts in China, but Baidu (BIDU) may be set to dominate the country’s mobile search market just as it holds the top spot in overall Internet search.
Baidu fielded the most mobile searches of any company in China in the second quarter, accounting for 34.3 percent of total searches after a rise of about five percentage points from the first quarter, local research firm Analysys International said Monday.
Meanwhile, Google’s share of the mobile searches fell by about five percentage points to 12.3 percent in the second quarter, moving it from second to third place behind local mobile search provider Easou.com, Analysys said.
Baidu is in talks with multiple handset makers about embedding a Baidu search box on their smartphones in China that use Android, Baidu Chief Executive Robin Li said in a recent interview. The company is in similar talks for phones with other operating systems, he said.
