Oppo, Huawei, Vivo, Xiaomi Said to Take on Google Play Store

China’s Xiaomi, 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 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.

The GDSA was initially aiming to launch in March, sources said, although it is not clear how that will be affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak. A prototype website says the platform will initially cover nine “regions” including India, Indonesia and Russia. Oppo and Vivo are both owned by Chinese manufacturer BBK Electronics. Huawei, Oppo and Vivo declined to comment for this story.

A Xiaomi spokesman denied Huawei’s involvement and said the GDSA “solely serves to facilitate the uploading of apps by developers to respective app stores of Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo simultaneously. There’s no competing interest between this service and the Google Play store”.