Reading between the lines of the e-book market

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.