China: Baidu has launched its own mobile browser, for Androids.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

China: Baidu has launched its own mobile browser, for Androids.

Baidu has launched its own mobile browser, the latest effort by the Chinese Internet search giant to keep ahead of its rivals in the mobile space.

Announcing the product on Friday, Li Mingyuan, Baidu's general manager of mobile and cloud computing, claimed the Android-based Baidu Mobile Browser was 20 percent faster than rival browsers.

According to Reuters, Li added that the firm is aiming for 80 percent of Chinese Android users to have downloaded the new software by year-end.

The mobile browser is available from today (Monday), and will allow access to apps, games and video without the need to download supporting software. It is thought to have been in beta mode since last summer. 

It will compete with rival products such as those from Chinese firms UCWeb and Qihoo 360, as well as Google’s Chrome and the default Android browser.

Baidu is investing heavily to keep its market-leading search business relevant in the shift from the desktop to mobile. It launched its own smartphone OS based on Android late year (known as ‘Baidu Yu’) and has also worked with operators and OEMs on Baidu-branded devices.