Facebook revealed that after beta-testing its Android exclusive 'Facebook Lite' app in January, the social media giant is set to roll it out across several countries in Asia, followed by parts of South America, Africa as well as Europe, according to CNBC.
Facebook Lite requires less than 1 MB of storage space on a mobile device – considerably lower than the standard app, which utilizes about 25 MB of storage space. The Lite version is designed to load faster in areas where high-speed mobile Internet is not available or where there is bad connectivity and has been optimized to take advantage of 2G networks, The Verge reported.
"In many areas, networks can be slow and not able to support all the functionality found in Facebook for Android. Facebook Lite was built for these situations, giving people a reliable Facebook experience when bandwidth is at a minimum," said Vijay Shankar, product manager of Facebook Lite.
Feedback from the Google Play store suggested that people wanted the application in their countries, Shankar said. The Facebook Lite app has a four-star rating and over 50,000 reviews on the Google Play app store, according to Wired.
Facebook Lite will allow users to do simple tasks such as post status updates, upload pictures, browse through their newsfeed and receive push notifications. But users will not be able to watch videos which are bulkier in data.
Mobile usage in developing countries is increasing rapidly, especially in the smartphone space where many low-priced mobile devices have been introduced.
