14 DAY TRIAL // It has been revealed that Baidu would replace Google as the standard search engine on Chinese versions of the iPhone, come the next major update.
A Baidu product manager reportedly told a group of journalists at a company event that Apple had signed an agreement to integrate Baidu as the default search service in iOS. The change will most likely go into effect when iOS 6 is released to the public later this year, in tandem with the release of Apple’s next-generation iPhone.
Apple has recorded huge revenues in the Chinese market where it made around $8 billion in profit alone in Q1 this year. Not only does Apple plan to make a splash with the next iPhone, the company is now dedicated to including specific services for major markets.
Not coincidentally, Apple is also moving away from Google Maps by implementing its own mapping service, which reportedly boasts some stunning 3D veiws, in iOS 6.