Google is eyeing to launch the Chinese version of its smartphone app store Google Play in 2016, people familiar with the plan revealed.
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Still, the main different will be that this app store is expected to be designed specifically for China and not connected to Google Play stores from other countries. Another is complying with the law that requires Google to store their app store’s data within China.
Back in 2010, the company pulled all its services from China, including Google Play, after refusing to continue self-censoring in the search results, as stated by Reuters.
China, being the biggest smartphone market, was left unexplored by Google and most of its services have been inaccessible, Google had a limited presence in China’s app market. But then again, critics say Google has lost basically all ground in most of its major services, search and video streaming in particular, to Chinese players. Google is yet to finalise on what products and services it would release next year in China.
A successful app store will be used by Google to place other services and products in China as well.
The move will be part of the first major foray of the firm, which is part of Alphabet Inc., to the domestic market since it ended its localized product support five years ago.
The government of China is said to be sensitive to foreign companies who conduct their business in the country.
Regarding the timing of the launch, the sources said that it could be made a few time after Chinese New Year in February next year, and before early summer.
Also, Google will make use of two payment options for its applications store: Alipay, owned by Alibaba Group Holding, and WeChat Payment, which belongs to Tencent Holding.
“Google Play would be a really good product for that because it’s not very sensitive”.
A spokesman for Google based out of Singapore has declined to comment on this. Such opportunity can increase the sub company’s revenue just like with Apple, which just made $58.7 billion on September 26 past year, a related report said.
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Google has been blocked in China before due to the government’s strict censorship policy.
