In Wechat-dominated China, new messenger app scores sudden success

HONG KONG - Bullet Messenger, a Chinese messaging app, has racked up millions of downloads since its debut more than a month 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 Inc'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.