US operator AT&T is expected to start selling its first Android-based smartphone – Motorola’s Backflip (pictured) – next week, but the device will use Yahoo as its default search engine rather than Google. This has surprised many industry watchers in light of the fact that Android was developed by Google. BusinessWeek calls the move “a victory for Yahoo”, which is a distant second to Google in the search market. Backflip users can, however, still choose to use Google if they want to.

Due March 7, the Backflip is expected to be offered exclusively in the US by AT&T, but will also be available in other countries. The phone is the first of several Android devices that AT&T plans, and not all will necessarily use Yahoo for search. AT&T – the second largest US operator – was the last of the four major national operators to add an Android phone to its network.