Rumor: Baidu Partners Samsung, Lenovo for Wireless Search

An unnamed insider said Baidu (Nasdaq:BIDU) has partnered with handset manufacturers including Samsung, Lenovo (992.HK) and Beijing Tianyu Communications Equipment to release handsets pre-installed with wireless search technology, including two Samsung models that will hit shelves in May, reports 163.com. The models are Samsung's S8300, which will support China Unicom's (NYSE:CHU, 762.HK, 600050.SH) WCDMA network, and S5239, which supports 2G networks from Unicom and China Mobile (NYSE:CHL, 941.HK), said the report. The search tool can be accessed via a Baidu icon preinstalled in the handset menu, the report said. Baidu has been cooperating with Taiwan-based chip designer MediaTek (MTK) (2454.TW) to develop a search service based on MTK's platform, said the insider.

Baidu is working on a wireless search tool named "Zhang Shang Baidu" (roughly, "Baidu Palm") that will be simultaneously released in Japan this year, said Baidu Chief Technology Officer Li Yinan during April's 2009 Global Mobile Internet Conference, according to the report. The Samsung, Lenovo and Tianyu model is similar to a partnership Baidu established with Nokia (NYSE:NOK) in 2006, the report said. Over 90% of Chinese-made handsets use MTK operating system solutions, said the report.