Baidu Mobile Browser Launches

In China, the biggest search engine on the block isn't Google; it's Baidu. Baidu has announced the launch of a mobile browser to compete with UCWeb, Google, and Apple within the country. Mobile browsers are important within China because a huge number of people access the Internet on mobile devices.

Some of the latest statistics show that 388 million people access the Internet on mobile phones. That number puts the amount of people accessing the Web from mobile phones higher than the number of users who access from a desktop computer in the country for the first time. The new mobile browser will be called the Baidu Mobile Browser.

The new Chinese browser promises to be 20% faster than rivals based on internal tests. That statement came from Baidu's general manager of mobile and cloud computing Li Mingyuan on Friday, at a pre-launch briefing reports Reuters. The mobile browser has a number of features, including the ability to access web-based mobile applications and the ability to run HD video through the browser.

Baidu says that its mobile browser can accomplish those tasks without having to download apps or other supporting software. Finding a way to make money off mobile web users is a huge goal for the Chinese search engine. The company makes most of its money off people who access the search engine via computers. With more people now accessing the site via mobile phones the push is on to find a way to monetize the traffic.

[via Reuters]