Delivered at Casual Connect Tel Aviv 2016 | China’s mobile market is a jungle to many of the ones who want to tap in. It’s a fragmented market with many challenges. We will show how the market is built these days, who are the main players, market shares – as well as current main challenges at the market – and solutions.

1. Conquering the Chinese app
market
Challenges and Solutions
Shlomo Freund - AppInChina Founder

2. Short Intro...
● Helping mobile apps distribute and
succeed in the Chinese market.
● Since 2013 -> ~90 apps
● Doing business in China for 9 years
● Lived for 3 years in Beijing
● Founder of Startup Noodle.com
● Speaker and mentor

3. 2015Q1-2016Q2 China Mobile Devices Scale
Device growth%Mobile Devices (billion)
Sources：TalkingData
Note：Mobile devices refer to mobile cumulative active devices, including smart phone、tablet、smart watch and
smart TV box.
The Growth % of China mobile devices starts to slow down

4. ▶ Google Play is blocked
▶ Est. 300 – 500 “Google Plays”
Market complexity

5. Ranking App Store (English) App Store (Chinese) Coverage
1 Myapp (Tencent) 腾讯应用宝 23.56%
2 360 Mobile Assistant 360手机助手 17.80%
3 Baidu Mobile Assistant 百度手机助手 16.71%
4 MIUI app store (Xiaomi) 小米应用商店 14.97%
5 Huawei App Store 华为应用市场 11.56%
6 Oppo Store 可可软件商店 6.42%
7 Vivo 步步高应用商店 5.05%
8 Google Play 谷歌 4.47%
9 HiMarket 安卓市场 3.81%
10 Wandoujia 豌豆荚 3.80%
11 Anzhi Market 安智市场 2.91%
12 CMCC Mobile Application Market 中国移动应用商场 2.33%
13 Sogou Mobile Assistant 搜狗手机助手 1.69%
14 Lenovo Store 联想乐商店 1.49%
15 Meizu 魅族应用商店 1.38%
16 Coolpad Store 宇龙酷派应用商店 1.18%
17 91 Mobile Assistant 91助手 0.97%
18 China Telecom Tianyi Store 中国电信天翼空间 0.97%
19 China Unicom WoStore 中国联通沃商店 0.95%
20 Zhuoyi Market 卓易市场 0.72%
Market
complexity
Android
Stores
Ranking
In China
Data source:
TalkingData Inc.

6. ▶ Hacked & unofficial apps
▶ Regulations
▶ Payments
▶ App Promotion
▶ Lack of transparency
Challenges
挑战

7. Unofficial & Hacked apps
▶ Difference
▶ Solutions:
Reclaiming and App protection solutions
Challenges

8. Case Study
Recognizing a hacked app

9. AppInChinaOrNot (AICON)
http://bit.ly/appinchina
On which Chinese stores your app is already on?

10. Search -> tasker

11. Suspected stores

12. Tasker on Google Play

13. Baidu search results

15. 360 search results

17. Wandoujia search results

19. Regulations
Since July 16’ Regulations over games have tightened.
Continuous tightening regulations and distribution
process for all kind of apps.
Challenges

20. Regulations
▶ Simplified process
▶ Game copyright must be owned by domestic (Chinese) individual or entity
▶ Do not contain sensitive gameplay elements regarding politics, military,
nationality or religion
▶ Have no storyline or very simple storyline
▶ Are casual games like endless runners etc…
Challenges

21. Regulations
▶ Simplified process
Challenges
D-20
Send all
docs local
SAPPRFT
+5 w/days
Game
assessment
+10
w/days
National
SAPPRFT
approval
+3 w/day
Informing
the
developers
D
Game launch
D+7
Developer
Launch report
SPPRFT - State Administration of
Press, Publication, Radio, Film
and Television

22. Regulations
▶ Standard process
Challenges
D-?
Send all
docs local
SAPPRFT
+5 w/days
Game
assessment
Up to 3
months!
National
SAPPRFT
approval
+3 w/day
Informing
the
developer
D
Game launch
D+7
Developer
Launch report

23. Payments
▶ No Google - No Payments
Solutions:
▶ Chinese payment solutions
● Alipay most popular(~50%) or stores payment
solutions (mainly for games)
● Requires integration
● Possible to transfer overseas
Challenges

24. App Promotion
▶ Featured Slot
▶ Pay Per Download
solution:
▶ Test test test!
Challenges

25. Lack of transparency
▶ Slower release and marketing efforts
solution:
▶ Test test test (Find the right tools!)
Challenges

26. Ask me
anything!
Shlomo@AppInChina.co
WeChat: Shlomof