Alibaba’s UC mobile browser is No. 1 in India, but Google is closing in as phones get fancier

The browser has lost its top spot in Indonesia and its share is declining in India, as the rise of powerful budget smartphones lessens the need for the small footprint that made it popular

Li Taoin Shenzhen
A Xiaomi smartphone in India. The rise of powerful smartphones at budget prices has lessened the appeal of UC Browser’s light app and opened to door to its rival Google Chrome. Photo: Bloomberg

Chinese-developed mobile web browser UC Browser is struggling to maintain the dominant position it had built up in the emerging markets of India and Indonesia as the availability of more powerful smartphones lessens the appeal of its small footprint.

Little known in western markets, UC Browser, owned by internet giant Alibaba Group Holding, built its leading position by keeping its size small for markets dominated by low-cost and low-power mobile phones that did not have the capacity to run large size apps like Google Chrome.

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