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 <lila(a)wikimedia.org> 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 <
florian.schmidt.welzow(a)t-online.de> 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" <dgarry(a)wikimedia.org>
An: "mobile-l" <mobile-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>rg>, "Carolynne
Schloeder" <
cschloeder(a)wikimedia.org>gt;, "Toby Negrin" <tnegrin(a)wikimedia.org>rg>,
"Lila
Tretikov" <lila(a)wikimedia.org>
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