Lite Facebook
Saturday, June 23, 2018
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Lite Facebook, Early today, Facebook uploaded a brand-new, slendered down variation of their app called Facebook Lite to the Google Play Shop. Focused on low-end gadgets in emerging markets where cellular data is a little slower, we have to confess, we were plenty thrilled at the possibility of a 2G-friendly variation of the normally bloated Facebook app.
Quickly after setup, our optimism was met cold hard reality-- this app was little more than a wrapper for the mobile web view (ie, it's almost identical to going to m.facebook.com). Okay, so there are some essential differences. There's no videos (like, at all) and unlike opening Facebook in your phone's web internet browser, Facebook Lite will offer you with push notifications on your Android device, convenient if you're waiting for a crucial message and wish to stay up to date with friends without having to revitalize the browser.
The trade off? Facebook Lite-- which is marketed as less than 1MB (252KB), however really took up 1.16 MB after setup-- demands a reasonable quantity of consents from your Android gadget, just like the complete fledged 114MB (after setup) regular variation of the app (only without the location data). Oh, did we discuss it's sluggish?
Even on WiFi, the app is sluggish to load, sluggish to scroll, and slow to change between News Feed, your messages, and alerts. Even with a high-end Snapdragon 801 equipped Android gadget, the "app" straight up seems like molasses. But as we discussed, you do get direct access to your messages without having to set up Facebook Messenger, so there's that.
We think Facebook really had something here and were really wishing for a quicker, lighter, less feature heavy, Facebook app for those of who don't require all the frill of sticker label stores and the like. Regretfully, Facebook Lite actually simply does not cut it.
Facebook Lite is currently readily available for all Android 2.2+ gadgets in Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, or Zimbabwe by means of the Play Shop. Those living in other places who 'd still want to provide it a try, you can download it from us via the link listed below.
Download: Facebook Lite for Android
Lite Facebook
Quickly after setup, our optimism was met cold hard reality-- this app was little more than a wrapper for the mobile web view (ie, it's almost identical to going to m.facebook.com). Okay, so there are some essential differences. There's no videos (like, at all) and unlike opening Facebook in your phone's web internet browser, Facebook Lite will offer you with push notifications on your Android device, convenient if you're waiting for a crucial message and wish to stay up to date with friends without having to revitalize the browser.
The trade off? Facebook Lite-- which is marketed as less than 1MB (252KB), however really took up 1.16 MB after setup-- demands a reasonable quantity of consents from your Android gadget, just like the complete fledged 114MB (after setup) regular variation of the app (only without the location data). Oh, did we discuss it's sluggish?
Even on WiFi, the app is sluggish to load, sluggish to scroll, and slow to change between News Feed, your messages, and alerts. Even with a high-end Snapdragon 801 equipped Android gadget, the "app" straight up seems like molasses. But as we discussed, you do get direct access to your messages without having to set up Facebook Messenger, so there's that.
We think Facebook really had something here and were really wishing for a quicker, lighter, less feature heavy, Facebook app for those of who don't require all the frill of sticker label stores and the like. Regretfully, Facebook Lite actually simply does not cut it.
Facebook Lite is currently readily available for all Android 2.2+ gadgets in Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, or Zimbabwe by means of the Play Shop. Those living in other places who 'd still want to provide it a try, you can download it from us via the link listed below.
Download: Facebook Lite for Android