There was a time not all that long ago where many companies and social media platforms in particular created lite versions of their apps with pared down features because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing people with low end smartphones to use them. Quite a few smartphones in those days were just not advanced enough to smoothly operate such heavy apps, so people in developing countries in particular seemed to prefer the use of these Lite versions.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a lot of progress has been made and Lite apps no longer seem to be something that the vast majority of people require. For example, LinkedIn has been growing among Indian users at four times the average rate. The Lite version of the app quickly became vastly inferior to the full version, with many high end features not being compatible with an app that’s designed to use minimal data and processing power.
That might be why LinkedIn just announced that it is shutting LinkedIn Lite down. The Lite version of their app as well as most other apps just can’t compare to full versions anymore to the point where there might not even be any benefits to using the Lite version at all. With most developing countries now in full possession of relatively affordable high tech smartphones that are powerful enough to run full versions of most apps, the need for Lite apps may now become a thing of the past.
LinkedIn is also likely going to be focusing more on its InJobs app which targets China. Maintaining the Lite app would have been somewhat inefficient given the reduced demand for it, and freeing up the people that were working on it can allow LinkedIn to penetrate the Chinese market even further. Users have until March 15th to take advantage of the Lite app, after which it will no longer be functional. Many consider this to be the end of an era, but it is one that most people are not going to look at all that nostalgically due to how limiting it was.
Read next: Microsoft’s Quarterly Revenue Grows by 20% Despite Inflation and Stock Price Decline
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a lot of progress has been made and Lite apps no longer seem to be something that the vast majority of people require. For example, LinkedIn has been growing among Indian users at four times the average rate. The Lite version of the app quickly became vastly inferior to the full version, with many high end features not being compatible with an app that’s designed to use minimal data and processing power.
That might be why LinkedIn just announced that it is shutting LinkedIn Lite down. The Lite version of their app as well as most other apps just can’t compare to full versions anymore to the point where there might not even be any benefits to using the Lite version at all. With most developing countries now in full possession of relatively affordable high tech smartphones that are powerful enough to run full versions of most apps, the need for Lite apps may now become a thing of the past.
LinkedIn is also likely going to be focusing more on its InJobs app which targets China. Maintaining the Lite app would have been somewhat inefficient given the reduced demand for it, and freeing up the people that were working on it can allow LinkedIn to penetrate the Chinese market even further. Users have until March 15th to take advantage of the Lite app, after which it will no longer be functional. Many consider this to be the end of an era, but it is one that most people are not going to look at all that nostalgically due to how limiting it was.
Read next: Microsoft’s Quarterly Revenue Grows by 20% Despite Inflation and Stock Price Decline
