Leading players in the market
iReader
Launched: 2008
Market share: 27 percent
Number of e-books: 430,000
iReader was one of the earliest mobile reading apps in China with a multimedia presentation of e-books. On its platform, videos and pictures are included to complement the library. When users become tired, they can also choose an audio version and select a male or female narrator. For popular e-books, iReader offers a service in different dialects such as Cantonese.
Book.qq.com
Launched: 2012.
Market share: 18 percent
Number of e-books: 650,000
Book.qq.com is a mobile reading app developed by Tencent Holdings Ltd. It encourages readers to interact with authors by posting comments and e-book recommendations. Users can download e-books onto a cloud storage platform or directly to their smartphones or tablets. Although the online platform has 650,000 books, many lack audio versions unlike rival iReader.
Tadu.com
Launched: 2010.
Market share: 10 percent
Number of e-books: 100,000
Tadu is a strategic partner of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. It not only functions as a mobile reader app, but also serves as a platform for budding authors to post their latest novels. It has an extensive library, and some of the e-books have been adapted into movies and games such as The Biography of Xi Concubine in Qing Dynasty.
XM.91.com
Launched: 2012
Market share: 9.6 percent
Number of e-books: 116,000
XM.91.com is run by search engine giant Baidu Inc. It provides a wider range of services than other mobile platforms. Users can read comics, magazines and newspapers as well as e-books. Unlike most apps that only work on Android and iOS operating systems, it supports multiple smartphones, including Windows Mobile and Symbian S60.