Last week we heard that AT&T were getting rid of Google apps from their Android based phones, in particular the Motorola Backflip that was going to be using Yahoo! search instead.
We are now hearing that Google apps are now being replaced by Motorola to other phones and that a new global alliance with Microsoft [MSFT] has been formed that will bring MS Bing services to their Android powered phones. The switch will give users a choice rather than restricting them to just one search and mapping feature.
“We believe that consumer choice is one of the most critical components to ensuring a rich and seamless client experience,” said Christy Wyatt, corporate vice president of software and services, Motorola Mobile Devices. “Motorola and Microsoft have enjoyed a longstanding collaboration and the addition of Bing services to our Android-based smartphones in China is another important step in empowering our end-users.”
The beginning of this switch over will first be happening in China but it is also expected the move will eventually become a global change where all of Motorola’s handsets will be using Microsoft Bing.
We are unsure at the moment which handsets will be shipping this new way. We also have not heard information on if future Android updates provided by Motorola OTA will make these kinds of changes to previous handsets such as the DROID.
I highly doubt Bing would replace Google in the US considering that Google designed the Android operating system.
Google did design/build Android but that doesn’t prevent other companies building it different to the standard installs, ie replacing the default search etc…