If they do nothing else but default the search engine to Yandex, that's what for.
Longer term, one of the benefits they might be able to offer users, over other browsers, is better compatibility with local sites, e.g. local banks. And maybe curated apps/extensions.
Well, local banks here seem to be compatible with everything plus Opera Mobile. Their web clients were developed not so long ago, when it was already unacceptable to have IE-only sites.
Have you ever tried to estimate how much it cost to maintain up-to-date browser, in terms of rapidly incorporating new standards, keeping high-quality, low-resource consumption and major-bug-free code, along with keeping it fairly secure?)
I think they grossly over-estimate their abilities to compete with completely different structures, like Mozilla, leave alone Google.)
Thinking that they are "Russian Google" is a self-delusion. Google is built out of talent, that they are collecting for a decade, and then by money and top-tier world-wide brand.
Yandex is mere a "company". Just compare the assets - data-centers, cables, commercial real estate, etc. Then take a look at amount of research Google's people do. This should be enough.
This browser, I guess, is something like Opera mini or Amazon Fire - the way to divert, scan and monetize user's traffic. Plain, banal scam.
One possibility "Russian pride". That might be wrong guess but there lot of things Russian simply to have something "Made in Russia" (e.g. yandex search itself).
That's OK. There were many engines before Google that were forgotten. It is completely possible that Yandex search for average Russian is better than Google but my impression is that it is not (my impression might be wrong). I know that there are some services that Yandex does better than Google in Russia.
I don't get your point. Are you suggesting that they should had shut down the company once Google appeared, and the reason they didn't is "Russian pride"? WTF?
