Spotify Lite Tries To Embrace Older And Entry-Level Phones

There was a point in time when the Android world had a fascination with "lite" apps, especially during the early weeks of Android Go. The hype over Google's configuration for less powerful phones eventually died down but it seems Spotify is coming late to the party nonetheless. It just launched Spotify Lite that follows that theme and it's positioning it as the app for data and budget-conscious users.

There's little doubt that streaming media is one of the biggest consumers of data on the Internet. And yet, at the same time, it's also the most common use of data, no matter where in the world you are. Or no matter your phone for that matter.

Spotify created Spotify Lite to cater to those with more constrained budgets, be it for the phones themselves or for their cellular data plans. Like other "lite" apps, its focus is on reducing the amount of data the app takes up on the phone and controlling the amount of cellular data the app uses up.

For one, the app itself is only 10 MB in size which might actually already be a bit big as far as lite apps go. Users can also set limits on how much data the app consumes so you won't get overcharged when you go beyond your allowed caps. Users can also clean up the app's cache to free up space without having to dig through Android's settings.

Naturally, those optimizations may come with trade offs but Spotify doesn't go into detail on what those are. Instead, it promises the same Spotify experience on the Lite app. Any changes to your account or favorite playlists would also be reflected in the main app as well. Spotify Lite is rolling out in 36 countries with more to come and can be installed on any Android device running version Android 4.3 or later.