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Twitter has taken the wraps off<\/a> a new data-optimized version of its service that it hopes will be a hit among emerging.<\/p>\n It\u2019s called Twitter Lite and, unlike similar \u2018Lite\u2019 apps from Facebook and others, it is browser-based \u2014 living at\u00a0mobile.twitter.com<\/a>. It is essentially a data-optimized version of the regular Twitter service that, the company said, loads fast and will work well on limited internet connections. It added that, already, \u201chundreds of millions\u201d visit the mobile app each month but now it wants to expand that reach.<\/p>\n A web app isn\u2019t as powerful as a native app, but Twitter said it had opted for this approach because it believes it can make its service accessible to new users.\u00a0\u201cIt works on most smartphones and tablets without an App Store or Google Play account. You won\u2019t need an email account or credit card either,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n The app also comes in at less than 1MB \u2014 making it well-sized for cheaper handset that don\u2019t have a lot of storage \u2014 while on Android phones it includes notifications and alerts, offline access and the potential for a home screen app.<\/p>\n Twitter hasn\u2019t had anything like the success in emerging markets as Facebook. Beyond a monthly user base of 1.86 billion<\/a>, Facebook\u2019s revamped Lite app alone counts 200 million users<\/a>\u00a0just two years after its launch. That makes it the company\u2019s fastest growing service, and it isn\u2019t all that far from Twitter\u2019s entire userbase, which stands at\u00a0319 million.<\/p>\n India, in particular, is a place where Twitter\u00a0has struggled.\u00a0India\u2019s online population is tipped to reach 450 million-465 million people by June 2017,\u00a0according to a recent\u00a0report co-authored by\u00a0the\u00a0Internet and Mobile Association of India. And yet reports have suggested<\/a> that less than 20 percent of India-based social network users are on Twitter.<\/p>\n India is very much the target here. Twitter said it has agreed to a partnership with Vodafone, which will see the operator \u2014\u00a0soon to be India\u2019s largest based on subscribers<\/a> \u2014 \u201cpromote\u201d the service to its 177 million customers.<\/p>\n Interestingly, Twitter wants to sell\u00a0its Lite app as a way to get\u00a0updates and alerts on the go.<\/p>\n \u201cNo 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,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n The real question is why Twitter Lite has taken so long to be released?<\/p>\n The service was developed last year by a team in India alongside a messaging app for emerging markets, according to a report from BuzzFeed<\/a>, but it appeared\u00a0to have been canned. TechCrunch first wrote about the potential for Twitter Lite<\/a> back in 2009, when Facebook\u2019s first version of its Lite app was announced, so today\u2019s\u00a0introduction is long, long overdue.<\/p>\n Featured Image: Bryce Durbin<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/08\/twitter-impressionist.jpg?w=680\")
Twitter has taken the wraps off a new data-optimized version of its service that it hopes will be a hit among emerging. It’s called Twitter Lite and, unlike similar ‘Lite’ apps from Facebook and others, it is browser-based — living at\u00a0mobile.twitter.com. It is essentially a data-optimized version of the regular Twitter service that, the company said, loads fast and… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/img><\/a>
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