In brief
Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo planned a joint app store to challenge Google Play, with a launch possible as early as March 2020. Success would depend on developer participation and app choice, while the ongoing outbreak could delay the launch.
As mentioned earlier, Huawei decided that even if the US–China trade war ended and it could resume working with Google to preinstall Google services on its phones, it would choose to move ahead “without looking back”, developing an entirely new app store of its own to break free from Google completely. Huawei’s decision has received support from its industry peers in mainland China. Reuters reports that several Chinese smartphone brands have decided to join forces to launch an entirely new app store, challenging Google Play’s leading position.
With Google services banned in China, users of various Chinese smartphone brands download the apps they need through different channels. Many of these app stores are developed by Huawei and Oppo. According to Reuters, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo have decided to collaborate on an entirely new app store, launching as early as March this year. It would be introduced in countries where they have a strong market position, such as Russia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, to challenge Google Play’s global leadership.
The reason is clear: last year alone, Google Play brought Google US$8.8 billion in revenue, demonstrating the enormous potential of the app market. It is little wonder that so many Chinese smartphone brands want to build an app store capable of challenging Google Play’s position. However, the success or failure of this initiative depends on how many developers are willing to work with them. Too limited a selection of apps will struggle to attract users. With the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak continuing, the launch could also be postponed.
Original article URL: http://bit.ly/3bpqNzM