Baidu launches its own web browser

If there’s one thing that Baidu has no problem being, it is China’s version of Google. The company already hosts China’s most popular search engine and it is now it has launched its own internet browser, just like how Google has its own Chrome browser. And just like the Chrome browser, Baidu’s offering has its own app store that boasts a collection of over 30,000 apps that connect users to online games, videos and tools.

While the apps are fully featured and functional, they aren’t downloadable apps in the traditional sense, like how apps work in Chrome, instead they are web apps that are stored on the cloud. “Downloading” an app would mean just adding a bookmark to the user’s homepage. The web browser’s search bar, by default, also acts as a shortcut to the Baidu search engine.

With 75.9% of the search market engine in China according to Analysys International, Baidu has a larger presence than Google, so there’s a high chance its web browser will be the one to dethrone Internet Explorer from its top spot in China (it is currently used by 62.9% of the population) – which is no small feat, since China itself is estimated to contain about 19% of the world’s population. Head here if you’d like to check out Baidu’s web browser (currently a free beta).

George Wong
Categories: Web
Tags: baidu, browser, China, internet