At an event UCWeb today officially released UC Browser 12, especially for the India market. This supports faster video content consumption on mobile, which now consumes 50% less data and buffers with zero time lag. The company has also announced that UC Browser has crossed 130 Million Monthly Active Users (MAUs) in India as of January 2018. It also says that it is leading with market share of over 43% as per StatCounter, and is the sixth-most downloaded app in India.
With the latest update, users can save over 50% internet data while watching videos, which can play without buffering and can be watched while it is downloading. It has automatic switch definition and a video preview feature as well.
It also promises better viewing experience for lower-end phones and optimizes video loading and downloading of top sites and pre-loading of video information flow It also includes Smart Weather and Smart Zodiac Signs. Check out the complete changelog below.
New features in UC Browser 12.0
- Save 50% data – Latest video coding format, VP9 Codec helps to save up to 50 % data as compared to the last version, while returning the same video quality
- Flexibility of switching definition – Supports new Media Source Extensions, introduced by World Wide Web to facilitate video streaming on websites. It will help optimize pre-loading of video on website and switch the definition automatically under different network situations
- Watch videos while downloading and Video previews – Offers “no buffering” video experience. You can also click “Play” and watch video simultaneously while it is downloading, and also get a preview on a thumbnail by clicking the video and decide whether to continue watching before downloading the whole clip
- Smoother browsing experience – Upgraded core U4 Kernel allows for faster page loads without draining the RAM of the device, offering fast and smooth browsing experience, even for users with budget phones that have RAM as low as 1-2 GB
- Smart weather and Smart Zodiac – New customized functions will remind users about the weather forecast and horoscope prediction of the day
- Supports Multi-tasking – User can now continue to watch a video and browse simultaneously – the video plays in a small window
- Tackles CPU Exploits – Addresses concerns regarding the recently-disclosed CPU exploits. Contains mitigations against Spectre, recently-discovered vulnerability that is affecting a number of processors around the world
Download – UC Browser for Android (Free)
At the launch, Shallia Li, Head of UC Browser (International Business Department) at Alibaba Mobile Business Group said:
UCWeb has always been dedicated in making content easily accessible for users, even when they are in limited bandwidth area. With evolving user demands, we are also upgrading our technology. Our data compression technology now provides a ‘No buffering’ video watching experience. Our vision of “Content for everyone, Every Content for One” is making content accessible for users regardless of network infrastructure and mobile hardware type while also personalizing and customizing the content as per user’s preference.