Twitter Launches New ‘Lite’ Version For Emerging Markets

Twitter is rolling out a new mobile web version of the platform that uses less data and takes up less device space.

Called Twitter Lite, the new service offers similar features to the original Twitter platform, including Tweets, a timeline, Direct Messages, profiles, trends, media uploads and notifications.

However the new product, which was built for emerging markets, promises quicker navigation speeds, 30% faster launch speeds and will take up under 1MB of space on a device.

It also has a Data Saver mode, which can reduce data usage by 70% and let users see previews of images and videos, so they can choose what content to view in full.

The social network has said that Twitter Lite will also come with offline support, which will enable users to continue browsing on the platform even when connection temporarily drops.

The service can also be downloaded onto device home screens, so people can launch the platform quickly.

Speaking about the new service, Twitter said: “Twitter Lite is a great way for many people in emerging markets across Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa to experience Twitter for the first time on their mobile devices.

“Today in India, we have partnered with Vodafone, one of the country’s largest telecom operators with over 200 million subscribers, to promote Twitter Lite to their customers as a way to get live sports updates on Indian Premier League matches, teams, and players as the cricket season kicks off.

“No matter where you are in the world, we want to make Twitter the best way for you to get real-time updates on news, sports, entertainment, politics, and other topics that matter most to you.”

Twitter is launching Twitter Lite globally today and you can find out more here.