The Chinese messaging app Bullet Messenger has racked up millions of downloads since its debut just a few weeks ago, using a stripped-down design to chip off a chunk of a sophisticated, billion-user market.
The Beijing-based company launched its app on Aug. 20, and within a week became the most downloaded free offering on Apple's App Store in China.
Analysts say its rapid ascent, driven by Chinese internet users' craving for alternatives to the ubiquitous WeChat, underscores just how fast China's mobile internet landscape can change.