Microsoft set to release Outlook Lite for lower-end devices this month
Android’s remarkable openness and versatility mean it’s adopted by almost every smartphone company not named Apple. The result? An operating system spread so broadly across the price spectrum that there exist plenty of devices that may not handle it and the apps it offers too well. Despite the massive jump in processing power over the last decade, some Android apps continue to not run as smoothly on entry-level devices, opening the way for theirliteversions that consume less storage and go easier on resources. Now, Microsoft is looking to get more users on board its email service through the same approach.
Anew entryon Microsoft’s 365 roadmap reveals a Lite version of Outlook is in the works, and it will be made available widely as soon as this month for Android. Its brief description says that Outlook Lite will be “an Android app that brings the main benefits of Outlook in a smaller app size with fast performance for low-end devices on any network.” Notably, ZDNetreportsthat the app already exists in a few countries, so it’s likely that the entry is actually about a broader release.
Gmail already has a watered-down version of its main app called Gmail Go, which last yearcrossed 500 million downloads on the Play Store, despite not being available to a large portion of Android users — it only ships with Android Go devices. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that seeing this Google app’s success, Microsoft drew inspiration and pictured the very same for Outlook. Outlook is one of the most popular email clients on Android, with over 500 million downloads, but is still dwarfed by Gmail’s eye-watering 10 billion figure. The Lite version should help close the gap a wee bit.
The note-taking app I should have used all along
Broader branding hints at wider paid-tier ambitions
I played the opening mission of The Outer Worlds 2 and really enjoyed what I experienced
We just learned a little bit more about Light No Fire in a video about the Voyagers update for No Man’s Sky
The entry-level Pixel delivers value
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before
