The lure of the mobile kingdom
Re-entering China will be hard for Google, but it may still try
“IT’S all speculation.” Google’s reaction to reports that it is in talks with officials and handset-makers to launch an app store in China is no surprise. Such a move would be a high-profile reversal: in 2010 the firm shut down most of its Chinese operations or shifted them to Hong Kong in reaction to government demands to censor online-search results. Even so, on September 8th the firm did take a tentative step back into the country: Motorola, its former handset unit (now owned by Lenovo, a Chinese firm), launched the first smartwatch supported by Google and powered by its operating system, Android, that understands Chinese voice commands.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “The lure of the mobile kingdom”
From the September 12th 2015 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Could seaweed replace plastic packaging?
Companies are experimenting with new ways to reduce plastic waste
Has Sequoia Capital outgrown its business model?
Venture capital’s hardiest perennial gets back to its roots
On stupid rules and quick wins
Why every boss can benefit from asking employees what most infuriates them
TikTok wants Western consumers to shop like the Chinese
It still has some convincing to do
Will the trouble ever end for Volkswagen and its rivals?
From strikes to Trump tariffs, calamities abound
After Northvolt’s failure, who will make Europe’s EV batteries?
The continent looks ever more reliant on Asian producers