Baidu Shoots Up Google Play Download Rankings With Apps That Boost Android Performance

DU Speed Booster app Baidu

Chinese search engine giant Baidu had a good month on the Google Play Store in June, shooting up seven ranks to crack the top 10 publishers by downloads, according to App Annie’s latest global app index.

Baidu‘s growth wasn’t on the back of its search capabilities. App Annie‘s data shows that two apps, DU Battery Saver and DU Speed Booster, accounted for most of the jump. As with other recent explosions in app popularity, the company was assisted by a featured spot on Google’s storefront, with a prominent placement in Indonesia — its largest country by share of total downloads —  giving Baidu’s Battery Saver app a big boost. According to Baidu, the app has been downloaded more than 10 million times since its initial release in September 2012.

DU Speed Booster, an application that claims to boost device speed by as much as 60 percent, had a huge month in several important markets. Its largest gains in June were in the United States, Brazil, Thailand and Brazil:

DU Speed Booster app Baidu App Annie

Both of Baidu’s apps for boosting performance are available in free and paid versions. It isn’t entirely surprising to see apps that let you get more out of your hardware take off in the markets where Baidu is succeeding, as those are the countries where low- to mid-range devices are most likely to be adopted en masse.