Amazon launches Internet, a lite browser app for India’s slower networks

Amazon’s web browser also offers private web browsing.

Internet: fast, lite and private is Amazon’s new web browser for emerging markets. (REUTERS)

Amazon has launched a 'lite' internet browser for emerging browsers. The web browser has a rather complicated name titled 'Internet: fast, lite, and private'. It is currently available for Android users in India on Google Play Store. The iOS version isn't available as yet. The launch of this web browser has been quite discreet, and was released on Play Store in March, Techcrunch reports.

As the name suggests, this web browser is meant for devices with less storage and RAM and slow internet connectivity - India. Amazon also puts its web browser as "lighter than the competition" and accordingly promises more storage for users to download videos and music. Amazon will also update users with new features and updates regularly but small in size.

This web browser is sized at 2.4MB and is compatible with Android 5.0 Lollipop and above. It currently has only a few 100 something downloads not even reaching the 1000 mark. This is understandable considering the fact that users aren't aware about this app, and also it's incompatibility with many smartphones.

The web browser is compatible with only selected models from different smartphone brands. Smartphones like Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Oppo A83, Honor 9 Lite are not compatible with this web browser.

Internet: fast, lite and private has a home page layout similar to UC Broswer with websites for Amazon, Facebook, BookMyShow, Twitter displayed as the top card. There's a trending news section taking the rest of the browser's space. This web browser also offers Tab Previews and has fullscreen display optimisation.

Other than the 'lite' factor, the web browser stands out is its private browsing mode. Amazon says that the app is 'private' and it doesn't seek for extra permissions which lead to collecting private data like other browsers do. Amazon assures that the browsing on the private tabs will not be tracked or collected as the data isn't recorded on the device. Similarly, popular web browsers like Google Chrome, Safari and Mozilla Firefox also offer private browsing.

This isn't Amazon's first 'lite' product launch in India. Around the same time as the web browser's launch, Amazon introduced Kindle Lite in India. Amazon Kindle Lite is 2MB in size and is available on Play Store. The lite version offers Kindle features like personalised recommendations, eBook syncing across devices, free eBook samples, and titles in English as well as regional languages.