Time and again, various tech companies have tried to challenge Google Play’s dominance. Whether they succeeded or not is a different story. However, the latest name to join the list is Indian fintech giant PhonePe.
TechCrunch reports that the Walmart-backed company is working on its own app store for Android devices. According to an internal document seen by the publication, the upcoming PhonePe app store will offer hyper-localized services and help developers achieve high-quality user acquisition.
According to the document, PhonePe’s Android app store will be available in 12 languages and will offer 24×7 live chat support. The company is also in talks with various device makers in India regarding its Google Play alternative.
A PhonePe spokesperson said, “We expect to go live on all Android OEMs within the first few months of launch. We have already closed terms with one of the largest OEMs and others in the next couple of months. Trying to onboard fast”. Publication
PhonePe was founded in 2015 and the UPI-based payment app is now a direct competitor to Google Pay in India with over 450 million registered users. The company already offers a platter of smartphone apps within its payments app that can be used without downloading separately.
As for alternatives, there are already several app stores for Android in the market, including Samsung’s Galaxy Store, Amazon App Store, and F-Droid. PhonePe’s app store efforts come just months after India’s antitrust watchdog fined Google for anti-competitive practices on Android.
Source: Tech Crunch
