I think you are confusing Beidou the GNSS and Baidu the search engine/software company. Baidu can have its own location services API providing things like reviews, directions, menus, etc. The OS API would provide coordinates from the chip separately. An app would get the location from the OS API, then other info from the Baidu API.
Chinese OS and software ecosystem
- Thread starter Jiang ZeminFanboy
- Start date
I don't have access to FT, the post said "Baidu Location service", so I assumed "baidu" was a mistake.
Besides, it would be strange subject regarding phone OS to integrate a search engine which isn't owned by the OS, talking about integrating Baidu in HarmonyOSNext is like talking about google search engine into iOS. Why would anybody even come up this question?
My guess is that it could mean that Baidu Map application and it's api have not been completely ported over HarmonyOS Next. My guess is that their are 3rd party apps that integrates with Baidu Map since their is not a unifie system like "Google Mobile Services" that provides the default mapping application in the Chinese Android ecosystem.
Baidu Map is far from a monopoly anyway. 高德 is equally popular and Huawei has their own Petal Map.
Maybe it's because I downloaded it in the west, but during my recent travel to China Petal Maps didn't work. I had to use Gaode instead, which is a bit of a pain as my wife can't read Chinese so I had to do all the navigation.
FYI - Petal will automatically switch to an "in China" version once you get a Chinese SIM and access the local telecom network
Ah that might be it, I still used my ATT sim as that was reliable, especially after my wife's China esim she purchased proved to be unreliable.