Glance, a subsidiary of adtech giant InMobi Group, is wanting to launch its lock screen platform on Android cell phones in the U.S. in something like two months, a source acquainted with the matter told.
The startup is drawing in with wireless carriers in the U.S. for partnerships and is outfitting to launch on a few cell phone models by the following month, the source said, requesting anonymity as the deliberations are ongoing and private.
Glance, valued at around $2 billion, serves media and current affairs content and casual games on Android handsets’ lock screen. The service, which has amassed presence on around 400 million cell phones in Asian markets, is building a “premium offering” for the U.S., where people have higher propensity to pay for digital services, the source said.
A representative for Glance declined to comment Tuesday. The startup said in February that it wanted to extend all around the world in the coming years.
The tie-up with U.S. carriers is a change in technique for Glance, which keeps up with direct associations with virtually every Android cell phone creator in Asia. In any case, in the U.S., carriers command the majority of the cell phone sales and handsets are sold packaged with mobile data plans.
Three-year-old Glance is generally attributed for recognizing a potential chance to serve content on lock screen, a prized real-estate whose monetization has empowered cell phone sellers to help their revenue in recent years. The startup personalizes content feed on the lock screen in light of clients’ interests, prompting them to connect deeply with content.
In a move that further solidified Glance’s model, Apple said last month that it will patch up lock screen on iOS with widgets, real-time info, and other personalization features.
The fast adoption of Glance has assisted it with attract in a few high-profile financial backers including Google and Jio Platforms, India’s biggest telecom carrier with more than 420 million subscribers.
In recent months, the startup has been testing live commerce on its platform and is likewise engaging with TV merchants to carry Glance to their client TV operating systems. Glance is likewise a core offering in Pragati OS, the custom Android operating system created by Google and Jio Platforms for reasonable cell phones.
