In its quest to reach almost every phone on the planet, Facebook has come out with a new app, specifically meant for users in developing markets. The app called Facebook Lite is already available in the Google Android Play store in Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
The app has been designed to work with 2G connections so that Android phone users who are still using slower data connection can access Facebook in the best possible way. The Lite app consumes less data compared to the full app as well as seems faster and more efficient so that it can work well on budget phones that have slower hardware.
For now it is not clear if the app will be rolled out to other countries or not. In India, even though 3G connectivity is spreading and more people are opting for faster internet connections, millions of people use 2G data connections. These people may find the Facebook Lite very useful but for now it is not available in India.
TechCrunch said that the current rollout is part of experimentation. If it succeeds, Facebook may launch the app in more countries. But if it doesn't bring the desired results, it is possible that Facebook may scrap the project.
For now, the app has been downloaded by thousands of users and it has good rating.
"First day with app! Feeling great ! Low memory & data usage! No lag at all! But only bug: why can't I use this app when I'm using wifi. While using mobile data its works fine. Pls fix," one user wrote on the Play store page of the app.
The Facebook Lite is less than 1MB and hence installs pretty fast. According to Facebook, it is also "efficient with data" and is "designed for 2G networks and areas with limited network connectivity".
As growth of users in developed markets slows down, for services like Facebook developing markets are important area of expansion. However, these markets also lack fast internet connectivity. So companies like Google and Facebook are trying to optimise their services for low speed connections.
In 2014, Facebook revealed that it often sends engineers and app developers to developing markets so that they can experience the network conditions in these regions first hand and optimise the apps and services for slower networks.
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The app has been designed to work with 2G connections so that Android phone users who are still using slower data connection can access Facebook in the best possible way. The Lite app consumes less data compared to the full app as well as seems faster and more efficient so that it can work well on budget phones that have slower hardware.
For now it is not clear if the app will be rolled out to other countries or not. In India, even though 3G connectivity is spreading and more people are opting for faster internet connections, millions of people use 2G data connections. These people may find the Facebook Lite very useful but for now it is not available in India.
TechCrunch said that the current rollout is part of experimentation. If it succeeds, Facebook may launch the app in more countries. But if it doesn't bring the desired results, it is possible that Facebook may scrap the project.
For now, the app has been downloaded by thousands of users and it has good rating.
"First day with app! Feeling great ! Low memory & data usage! No lag at all! But only bug: why can't I use this app when I'm using wifi. While using mobile data its works fine. Pls fix," one user wrote on the Play store page of the app.
The Facebook Lite is less than 1MB and hence installs pretty fast. According to Facebook, it is also "efficient with data" and is "designed for 2G networks and areas with limited network connectivity".
As growth of users in developed markets slows down, for services like Facebook developing markets are important area of expansion. However, these markets also lack fast internet connectivity. So companies like Google and Facebook are trying to optimise their services for low speed connections.
In 2014, Facebook revealed that it often sends engineers and app developers to developing markets so that they can experience the network conditions in these regions first hand and optimise the apps and services for slower networks.
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