The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Android Facebook

Facebook Lite Android app targets emerging markets

Author

By John Glenday, Reporter

January 27, 2015 | 1 min read

Facebook has introduced a pared down app optimised for low-spec Android handsets in emerging markets as it seeks to extend growth beyond saturated developed markets.

Launching in a limited number of countries in Africa and Asia the app will weigh in at a meagre 252KB, a fraction of the 70.1MB iOS version and substantially smaller than the 25MB existing Android iteration.

As well as being svelte the app is optimised for use on 2G networks and is compatible with Android 2.2 and later and provides much of the functionality of its bigger brothers; including posting status updates, image uploads and messaging.

The initiative feeds into a wider push to bring improved internet coverage to the 70 per cent of the global population who currently do without. This has seen Mark Zuckerberg partner with six mobile phone firms to increase affordability and efficiency.

The app is currently available in Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Android Facebook

More from Android

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +