Facebook has been concentrating at emerging markets with Facebook Lite and Project Aquila, as it wants to connect the rural areas with the urban markets. The company is now launching another app that is exactly like Snapchat.
Exactly like the Snapchat app, Facebook has launched an app ‘Flash’ that can send temporary photos and videos to your friend list. Considering you already have a list of friends on Facebook, it becomes easy to share still snaps with your contacts.
Facebook has done it previously with the Facebook Slingshot app, however it did not gain pace as expected. Flash also has photo and video masks like Snapchat, Instagram stories and the to-be launched WhatsApp Status.
What’s going to be special about the app?
Since it is a Facebook clone, and the company has also made it very clear, the app doesn’t actually have any different filters, or USPs that the company can boast of. The only thing Facebook is banking on is the size of the app.
As it is focused on emerging markets, the app will be of a size less than 25MB on Google Play Store, which is one third of that of Snapchat. This allows a lot of users with low-range smartphones in these countries to use this application.
In general as well, users who do not want a heavy app can install Flash on their smartphones and use it in the same way as Snapchat. Slingshot was double the size of Flash, so this is a good thing on Facebook’s part as well.
India, China, Brazil and a few South-East Asian countries are on the target list of the Silicon-Valley giant. These countries do not have as many Snapchat users and this can give a big push to Facebook Flash. The app also doesn’t take too much data and that is beneficial in countries with poor connectivity and lack of internet infrastructure.
Snapchat’s idea of photo sharing is becoming a rage with the younger generation, and this brings a major threat to Facebook and the likes.
Will Flash beat Snapchat in these countries?
If this app can use less data than Snapchat, and is lighter, then it can definitely beat Snapchats in its game. However, the problem is that the population using these applications in concentrated in large cities where internet is not a big issue.
Having said that, Facebook has a huge popularity in even smaller cities and towns, and an app from the same company will definitely attract the denizens of emerging nations. The company believes that sharing photos will be the future and they are moving towards the right direction.
Instagram stories picked up very fast and it has become an important tool for marketing companies and celebrities to communicate with their audience. Facebook Flash will be a completely new tool and it might become that famous, unless it spreads by word-of-mouth.
The app is available in Brazil as of now and will be subsequently launched in other emerging markets. India will also get a bite of the app soon, and it will become easier to communicate with friends as it will use less data and space on your phone.
Source: Recode