Chinese search engine Baidu has launched its long-anticipated mobile OS, revealing it to be a heavily modified Android fork.
The search-centric OS, Biadu Yi, replaces many of Android's in-built Google services with Baidu app alternatives.
Geek.comreports that Baidu will supply its own maps, reader and music apps, and provide its Shen Bian service to stand in for Google Places. The music app will likely integrate with Baidu's Ting licensed music download service.
As with the competing platform launched by Alibaba last month, Baidu's OS utilizes cloud storage, backup and sharing capabilities.
It will also provide single sign-in integration with Baidu accounts, and come complete with its own app store.
Baidu had been rumored to be planning the OS - and to be using a modified version of Android - for some time, but had refused to provide confirmation.
Baidu dominates China's search market, and gained even more ground on Google after the company run afoul of the government by announcing it would stop censoring results in the country.