Xiaomi to preinstall PhonePe’s app store on smartphones sold in India

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi said on Thursday that its Android smartphones sold in India will come preinstalled with Indian fintech company PhonePe’s app store. Xiaomi’s Android smartphones usually come preinstalled with Google’s Play Store and the Chinese company’s own GetApps. Xiaomi said that it has signed a multi-year deal with PhonePe to replace GetApps with the latter’s Indus Appstore. This confirms TechCrunch’s reporting last year about the partnership. Google’s Play Store will still come preinstalled on Xiaomi’s devices. The companies did not specify if the Indus Appstore would also be rolled out to existing Xiaomi devices that have already been sold or are currently available to buy at retailers. They also did not mention when this will come into effect. PhonePe has been trying to take on the likes of Google for a share of the Indian app market, promising to charge zero fees from developers for in-app purchases. Indus Appstore supports 12 Indian languages, features a vid ... Read full article.