On Friday, Baidu launched a new Android-based mobile platform , which means easy in English. Currently, the platform is only available to developers and works as a suite of tools to create mobile apps integrated with existing Baidu products, including the company's music, e-reading and mapping services.

But Baidu could be positioning Yi to become something more than just a collection of developer tools. Baidu CEO Robin Li said the company had reached an agreement with an international handset vendor to launch a phone installed with the Yi platform, according to .

Baidu spokesman Kaiser Kuo said he could not confirm Li's statements. But he said in the future, the Yi platform will be built with a user interface meant for consumers.

Shen Sui, an analyst with consulting group iResearch, expects Baidu Yi will eventually become an Android-based mobile OS that features a collection of the company's apps. Android is a natural choice given how the operating system is open source and already popular among developers, she said.

Baidu already has a presence on most Android phones in China. In April, the company reported that its search engine was installed on 80 percent of Android phones in the country.