China Unicom has launched its long anticipated app store, called WoStore, according to a statement from ZTE, the operator’s technology partner in the project. The vendor says that the store will support “all open smartphone platforms except for iPhone, as well as terminal devices such as tablet PCs and MIDs.” Users will be able to access WoStore through a number of channels, including internet, WAP, mobile handset client, or PC client, and nearly 1,000 WCDMA handset models will be supported. ZTE says that it won the contract after a “rigorous bidding and internal testing process,” with Unicom having invited participation from “mainstream equipment manufacturers of the industry.” The WoStore is said to be an important part of Unicom’s 3G portfolio, which uses the Wo brand.

China Unicom has been offering a beta version of the store since February 2010, when it was launched using the Unistore brand, with reports stating that the operator had a catalogue of more than 2,000 apps – an updated number was not provided for the latest launch. Rival China Mobile already has a strong presence in the mobile app market, with a catalogue of more than 20,000 titles and more than 25 million downloads since its launch in 2009, and smaller rival China Telecom is also active, with a reported 5,000 apps and one million downloads per month. These companies are not alone in their efforts, however: Motorola is gaining ground with its Chinese Android app store (Shop4Apps), while Apple has also recently launched a Chinese-language version of its App Store. Analyst firm Canalys previously noted strong demand for apps from Chinese consumers, aided by the wide availability of content including Java titles for featurephones.