Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi working together to compete Google Play Store

Reuters reports that Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi are working together as a team to upload apps onto all of their app stores at the same time. Huawei Technologies, Oppo and Vivo are joining forces to create a platform for developers outside China to upload apps onto all of their app stores simultaneously, in a move analysts say is meant to challenge the dominance of Google’s Play store.

“The Global Developer Service Alliance is committed to providing one-stop services including content distribution, development support, marketing operation, brand promotion and traffic monetization to global developers,” reads an excerpt of the website’s “About” section.

The four companies are ironing out kinks in what is known as the Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA). The platform aims to make it easier for developers of games, music, movies and other apps to market their apps in overseas markets, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

A Xiaomi spokesman said the alliance was not intended to challenge Google and denied Huawei’s involvement with it, but Oppo and Vivo made no mention of Huawei in their statements. Huawei declined to comment.

Together the four companies made up 40.1% of global handset shipments in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the consultancy IDC. While Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi have full access to Google services in international markets, Huawei lost access for new devices last year after the United States barred American suppliers from selling goods and service to it, citing national security.