Creating a separate app to optimize sounds like a good idea. We will check the market stats on Android versions, and I'll get the scoop from Facebook on their learning.
I was somewhat surprised that most OEM's we've talked to are shipping Android 4.x even on low-priced models targeted for developing markets. But I'll clarify what's happening and circle back with Dan on the distribution plan (preload vs. appstores). I'll also catch up with Kim. I do love to see this attention given to our lower end handset users, thank you! Carolynne On Sun, Feb 1, 2015 at 9:30 AM, Lila Tretikov <[email protected]> wrote: > Dan, > > I think this is really important and thank you for highlighting this. > > Could you do rough sizing on what it would take to get something like this > out? What if we did this with a pre-load? > > Carolynne -- I recommend you start reaching out to Kim as you re-formulate > your W0 strategy. > > Lila > > On Sat, Jan 31, 2015 at 2:36 AM, Florian Schmidt < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> +1 for this idea. I still have an Android 2.3 device, but the Wikipedia >> app (and others too) is very slow and becomes more and more unusable, while >> it's agreat user experience on my Android 4.4 device. >> >> If dropping 2.3 support means a faster development of the main Wikipedia >> app and the <2.3 users still have access to Wikipedia through a lite app >> (which will be faster and more usable) i would say: do it, it has >> advantages for both sides :) >> >> Florian >> >> Gesendet mit meinem HTC >> >> ----- Reply message ----- >> Von: "Dan Garry" <[email protected]> >> An: "mobile-l" <[email protected]>, "Carolynne Schloeder" < >> [email protected]>, "Toby Negrin" <[email protected]>, "Lila >> Tretikov" <[email protected]> >> Betreff: [WikimediaMobile] [Apps] Wikipedia Lite app? >> Datum: Sa., Jan. 31, 2015 06:45 >> >> Hi everyone, >> >> Those of you who were at the Mobile quarterly review heard me mention >> Facebook Lite, an app that's designed especially for the developing world. >> >> Notably, their app has a lot of optimisations which make it good for >> users in developing world: >> >> - It's only 252kB, good for limited data plans. >> - It supports down to Android 2.2, good for older devices. >> - It's data-efficient, good for 2G connections and for people on >> limited data plans. >> >> From a development perspective, some advantages are: >> >> - You no longer have to support older versions of Android in your >> main app. >> - You can tailor the performance of the lite app to the older devices >> so it's faster. >> - You can tailor the features of the lite app to the developing >> market. >> >> So obviously there are a lot of advantages for our users if we do this. >> And, selfishly, I can't stress enough how much dropping Android 2.3 from >> our current app would speed up development. As an example, almost all of >> the edge cases with lead images occurred on 2.3 devices, and they required >> quite a lot of investigation and hacking to fix them up. Obviously we've >> not dropped 2.3 so far because it's a very strategically important part of >> our user base, which I'm sure Carolynne can attest to! >> >> I'd say that we should put some serious thought into whether we'd prefer >> to have a Wikipedia Lite app for the developing world, rather than our >> current "one app to rule them all". >> >> Comments? Questions? >> >> Dan >> >> -- >> Dan Garry >> Associate Product Manager, Mobile Apps >> Wikimedia Foundation >> > > -- Carolynne Schloeder Director Global Mobile Partnerships Wikimedia Foundation +14154077071 skype: cschloeder
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