Entry-level Android devices are hardly the most pleasant smartphones to use as daily drivers, but Google’s new program, Android Go, may just change that. Built especially for entry-level devices, this version of Android aims to reach the “next billion smartphone users” by offering a more pleasant user experience even on affordable phones.
Android Go focuses on three main areas: OS, apps, and a redesigned Google Play Store. In terms of OS, Google aims to run the latest version of Android – starting with Android O – to run smoothly even on entry-level devices with limited hardware capability. Other than that, Android Go will also focus on offering apps that require less memory, storage, and mobile data to run effectively.
Last but not least is a redesigned Google Play Store. While this version of the Play Store will still offer Android’s full range of apps, it’s designed to highlight apps that are optimised for entry-level devices. These include apps such as Facebook Lite and Skype Lite.
According to Google, any device with less than 1GB of RAM will automatically run on Android Go – this will be the case from Android O onwards. Naturally, Google elaborated that it’s committed to provide Android Go version of all future Android updates going forward.
