Nokia is partially embracing Google by agreeing to put Google’s mobile search on some of its phones. It already ships phones with mobile search from Yahoo and Microsoft, so this isn’t that big a deal. But it does show that as Nokia prepares to compete with Google-based Android phones, the cell phone leader will incorporate some basic Google functionality into its own phones as a preemptive move.

It is also a matter of choice. Google has so much loyalty among searchers that not including its mobile search on Nokia phones might be seen by some customers as a disservice. In any case, Nokia’s strategy is to provide search from multiple sources based on location and application (local search, map search, Web search, community search, news search).