Microsoft Launches Skype Lite For India

With places in the world where the internet isn’t as fast or as stable, developers have to start thinking of how to make their apps more accessible. Packing an app full of features is great, but if those features can’t be used due to them being too big or slow, then what’s the point of having them, right?

So far we’ve seen companies like Facebook create “Lite” versions of its app, a move which was well-received since we last heard it was boasting 200 million monthly users. Alphabet also has YouTube Go, and we’ve also seen how Naver launched a “Lite” version of its LINE messaging app, and now it looks like Microsoft wants in on it as well as they have announced Skype Lite.

As the name implies, Skype Lite is basically a more simplified version of Skype where the app itself only weighs 13MB in download, and is designed to work better on 2G networks and even on unstable connections. This means that in markets such as India where coverage might not be ideal, it will still be usable.

It is also expected to use less battery than the regular version, and will also run smoothly on older Android phones. There is also a mode meant to reduce the amount of data consumed during video calls. In addition to these features, Microsoft will integrate Aadhaar which is a 12-digit national identification system used in India that allows people to securely identify themselves with.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Android, Apps, Microsoft, Skype