Mobile chat application Yixin, which was launched by China Telecom Corp Ltd and NetEase Inc, is pushing China Mobile Ltd, the nation's biggest telecom operator, into an awkward corner, analysts said.

On Aug 19, China Telecom and Internet company NetEase Inc jointly launched Yixin, a smartphone app similar to Tencent Holdings Ltd's WeChat.

Yixin, which has created to challenge WeChat, has several features that set it apart from the competition. For instance, the app is capable of sending free text and voice messages to any mobile phone user, whether the receiver has installed Yixin or not.