Chinese smartphone makers to develop Quick App, an alternative to WeChat

April 30, 2018

After Australia’s top intelligence agencies raised concerns on a Chinese instant messaging app, called WeChat, some of the leading Chinese smartphone companies are now planning together to develop a software platform which will offer access to apps. Those apps will replace WeChat and will provide services to more than 1billion uses across the world.

As per the report, smartphone makers like Huawei Technologies Co., Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi Corporation are now joining hands with smaller brands to develop Quick App. Using the app, the users can access varieties of services like mobile payment and different online transactions. Well, that will give stiff competition to WeChat which is owned by Tencent Holding Limited. It enables users to book bikes for rent and order food.

WeChat is available for both iOS and Android OS and it is omnipresent in China. People use the app to pay bills, transfer money and order food online. It has now become a one-stop solution for people and that has made Tencent capture more revenue.

Commenting on this, Kaylene Hong, a spokeswoman for Xiaomi stated that “The vendors will have equal status in the alliance, and it is designed to improve efficiency for both smartphone users and app developers.”

It may be noted that the recently the Australian Defense Department has banished staff from downloading WeChat. The department has conducted security verification of WhatsApp. Banning decision on WeChat comes after Australia’s top intelligence agency informed that they have detected a number of states and other actors conducting espionage. Dennis Richardson, the Former Head of the Defense Department had stated that many Chinese spies were active in the country. Following this incident, the Indian Defense Ministry also banned the use of WeChat in December. Apart from that, the Australian military has also stopped using products from Huawei and ZTE after security warning issued by Mike Pompeo, US Spy Chief.