Google are soon to be releasing a new version of Android, but it’s not Android P. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until summer 2018 before they release Android Popsicle, Pancake, Peanut Butter or whatever it’s going to be called.
In the meantime, there is Android Go. Android Go is a version of Android that Google have optimised for use on cheaper smartphones. Such phones have less RAM and memory, and subsequently need a lighter version of the Android OS to run efficiently. Android Go takes up less space on the phone and is a lot easier on the processor. This means that your smartphone should run smoothly even if it did cost sub £100.
How does Android Go Work?
With smartphones being more expensive than ever, we need something for lower-powered, entry level smartphones. The official name for the first edition of Android Go is Android Oreo (Go Edition). This helps to differentiate between this and the original version of Android. We can get from this information that there will be a release of a ‘Go version’ whenever Google release a full version of Android in the future.
Android Oreo (Go Edition), promises quicker and slicker performance on handsets that have 1GB or less of RAM. That’s about the average performance of a smartphone that you can buy for around £80 today in 2018. This version of Android comes with fewer apps pre-installed, which frees up valuable resources for your smartphone – including storage. The apps themselves will take up about 50% less space each as well, so you really can get more bang for your buck on even the cheapest of smartphones.
Android Oreo (Go Edition) is similar to Android One, which allows handsets to run the full, pure version of Android – minus the bloatware. Originally invented for the Indian market, Android One also took off here in the West. Although here they use it in some quite high-end models of smartphone in order to boost performance.
Which Apps are Available on Android Go?
Because it is Android, Google apps will be the first to be optimised for Android Go. A new feature called ‘Files Go’ will allow you to quickly find files and delete any unwanted content. This will free up more space on your phone.
Google Go will bring together some of the most-used Google features, including web search, voice search, image search, YouTube, Google Weather, Google Translate and Google Maps.
There will also be an app called Google Assistant Go which is a stripped-down version of the existing Google assistant. The assistant will be able to answer questions and set timers etc as before. Nut now it will work effortlessly on smartphones with 1GB of RAM or less.
Android Oreo (Go Edition) will have the full editions of Google Chrome and Gboard installed. The reason for this is because the interent is one of the main features of a smartphone and Googlw anted to keep this as powerful as they could. The same applies to Gboard, which is Google’s version of a keyboard that features auto correct, voice typing, GIFs and emojis – all in 220 different languages.
One great feature of Chrome is a data server which limits background data use. This can reduce typical usage by as much as 60 per cent, which is welcome on anyone who uses 4G internet as it will save them a small fortune on their data usage.