Microsoft goes ‘lite’

Microsoft will be rolling out a stripped down version of Skype for devices running on Android 4.0.3 through 5.1. The new version is aimed at providing better audio and video quality.

The company says that the updated version will be light on both disk and memory consumption. It will also provide improved audio and video quality. It is also aimed at better performance where connectivity is weak.

This new move by Microsoft is similar to the launch of Android Go by Google, Lite Messenger by Facebook and the lite version of Twitter, all of which cuts down the clutter from its regular app. According to Google’s February 2018 platform stats, 42 per cent of Android devices on Google Play runs on versions of Android 4 or 5 (Android 4.0.3 such as Ice Cream Sandwich, launched in 2011 and version 5.1, Lollipop, launched in 2014). The Android 4.0.3-5.1 version has the Skype logo at the top and tabs across the top for Chats, Calls, and Contacts; the Android 6+ version has the user’s profile picture at the top and tabs across the bottom for Chats, Calls, Camera, Highlights, and Contacts.

With this new version, Microsoft has acknowledged the practical difficulty that many people in developing countries cannot update their phones regularly or might purchase phones running on old Android versions. A large chunk of their potential users have low-end phones and for the same reason Microsoft cannot afford to ignore this section of  users.

The update will be rolled out worldwide in the coming weeks.