Baidu preps Yi app store for Chinese Android phones
updated 03:20 pm EDT, Fri September 2, 2011
Will offer apps for its Android-based Baidu YI OS
Baidu, China's largest search provider is opening an online app store. The company hopes to encourage Chinese developers to create new content for Android phones and for phones running its new Baidu Yi OS, which the company can then distribute. The Yi OS, which Baidu officially announced at Baidu World earlier today, is based on Google's platform.
Baidu has already developed a number of Android apps including Baidu Maps, Baidu Browser, Baidu Search and Baidu Chinese Input Method Editor. Porting them to work on YI would be a simple matter. Baidu's Yi-oriented website went live earlier today.
Baidu's actions are consistent with a growing trend for Chinese corporations to try to tap nationalistic feelings and offer homegrown solutions to China's 1.4 billion residents. In July, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba began shipping its Tianyu K-Touch Cloud W700 cellphone running the company's own Aliyun OS.
