Facebook Lite gives a social fix without eating mobile data

With its Internet.org project, Facebook is trying to not only spread into new parts of the world by bringing the internet to places where it is not currently available. With a focus on minimal data usage to help keep down costs, it was only a matter of time before a stripped down version of the Facebook app appeared.

Today is the day that Facebook Lite arrives. As the name suggests, this is a data-light version of the familiar Facebook app, and it starts its life on Android devices. It is designed with developing markets in mind, and today it starts the rollout process in Asia before it spreads further around the globe.

The app itself weighs in at a meagre 1MB and has been built from the ground up for limited data connections. Facebook acknowledges that on slower networks it can be a frustrating experience to use the main Facebook app for Android, and Facebook Lite is the answer. It is described as "a new version of Facebook for Android that uses less data and works well across all network conditions".

There is a far simpler look than the full blown version, but it still provides access to all of the essential features that users have come to know and love -- news feeds, status updates, photos, and notifications. Facebook says that in the coming weeks the app will spread to Latin America, Africa and Europe, but for now it is limited to Asia.