WeChat may be the fiercest competitor of WhatsApp in the world. By August 2013, WeChat got 272 million monthly active users, and over 100 million oversea users. Now WeChat broke another 100 million mark: 100 million times download in Google Play.

Poshu Yeung, the vice president of Tencent IBG (international business group), said in a statement that Tencent would remain committed to offering easy-to-use and integrative experience for users. Furthermore, WeChat just launched mobile games for international markets recently. It made WeChat more like a social platform rather than a simple mobile IM.

According to Enfodesk, QQ got 325.71 million active users, ranked the first in mobile IM apps, followed by WeChat with 295.712 million. These two winner are both developed by Tencent,  beating the others by a long shot. Momo took the third place with 13.43 million active users. ChatOn and Wangxin ranked the fourth and fifth, respectively.

Enfodesk also released demographics of mobile IM users. The statistic suggested that share of male users was 23.38 points higher than female’s.Mobile IM users were predominant in below 35 age group, medium and low income groups.

In terms of occupation, workers/service workers were primary users. Public institution (including party and government office) leaders and staff also held an important position.

In the eyes of Tencent CEO Pony Ma, Wechat was opening a new way for Tencent. However, the real problem for Wechat was that in order to achieve, it would have to kill QQ. And this was happening.

In Tencent company, the staff all knew about the coming battle between QQ and Wechat, for internal development resources and dominance inside the company. QQ would be replaced gradually, which was not determined by market but largely due to Tencent’s future strategy.

In the PC end era, QQ represented everything of Tencent. QQ had a large number of user base, which drove large traffic and built membership, game, etc. QQ number was the connection to all Tencent business. However, in mobile end era, Wechat replaced QQ to be the core business of Tencent.

But it seemed that Wechat could not replace QQ to be the cash cow. At present, Wechat still did not have a mature business model, or the ability to generate large revenue continually. For Tencent, there’s no need for Wechat to become the money machine right now. It represented the future.

Tencent laid its focus on mobile internet, therefore, QQ was destined to end. It means except for revenue from games, most of Tencent’s revenue (up to 50%) needed to redefine. Considering the fact that Tencent gambled everything on Wechat, the transformation of revenue would speed up.

Wechat, unlike QQ, faced a different market situation. Although Wechat had millions of registered users, it still had to compete with Laiwang and Yixin. Therefore, Wechat dared not to charge its users and very unlikely in the future. On the contrary, QQ had built up a successful membership business model and proved by capital market. If Tencent give up QQ, it would not only face the decrease of revenue but also the growing risk. The intense competition in mobile IM market made Tencent give up making money from registered users, and it could not charge public accounts either.

Many outside analysts helped to design the future missions of Wechat, its strategic position was uplifted to an extremely high point. QQ department sensed the internal priority shifting towards Wechat. It’s no doubt that Wechat is killing QQ, but the problem will be how Tencent is going to survive when QQ revenue drops and Wechat has not begun making money.

According to EnfoDesk, China Mobile IM market accumulated accounts hit 1.57 billion in Q3 2013, increasing 6.1% quarterly.

And IM active accounts in Q3 2013 reached 830 million, increased 72.9% compared to Q3 2012.

China IM market remained steady in Q3 based on data report, accumulated accounts surpassed 1.5 billion with 74.4% YoY increase and 6.1% QoQ increase; and China IM market was in a transition from PC to mobile, active accounts hit 830 million.

From the aspect of market condition, IM social network features were strengthened, and the difference among segment markets became prominent. IM platform apps expanded into life services, including mobile payment and interactive entertainment.

According to Enfodesk, in Q2 2013, Chinese cumulative mobile IM accounts hit 1.48 billion, with a QoQ increase of 21.3%. Chinese mobile IM active accounts reached 770 million, 75% more than that of 2012.

Mobile QQ was the top mobile IM app with 39.9% market share,, followed by Wechat with 29.1%. Together, QQ and Wechat occupied nearly 70% of mobile IM market.

Mobile IM app is a supplement for satisfying multi-device using experience, making communication as convenient as possible. Mobile QQ and Wechat incorporated game, SNS and media into its apps while strengthening communication function; China telecom newly launched Yiliao, gained its users fast by differentiate products basing on advantages of telecom operator and free service.

According to Enfodesk, the top three mobile IM in China by total number of cumulative accounts are mobile QQ with 38.07% market share, Weixin (Wechat) with 27.97%, and Fetion with 18.37%.

QQ is also the leader in mobile IM active account market share with 42.54%, followed by Weixin with 23.38% and Fetion with 17.65%.

Mobile QQ has accumulated a large number of users through many years, which provided user base for Wechat (known as Weixin in China). Wechat cumulative accounts have grown from 25.89% in Q4 2012 to 27.97% in Q1 2o13, and active account market share growed from 19.9% in Q4 2012 to 23.38% in Q1 2013.

Liao.189.cn and Fetion, from ChinaNet and China Mobile respectively, also take a sizeable share of IM market.