We shall be bring to you important features of Android Go as it embodies Google’s plan to bring smartphones and the internet to the next billion.

It has been statistically proven that there are over 7.3 billion people in the world and that only half of this population has access to the internet. The rest half, about 3.5 billion, are in the dark. Google plans to bring a billion (the next billion) into the light of information through its Android Go project.

What is Android Go?

Android Go is an Operating System software that has been specially optimized to run on phones with less than 1GB RAM (think 512MB RAM).

The Android Go software will function like the normal Android software found in high-end smartphones but will be specially optimized so entry-level devices will perform as smoothly as high-end smartphones.

The Go Edition is not the first time Google is attempting to make the quality smartphone more affordable to the low-income class. Android One was also born out of the same idea, however, it failed to achieve Google’s aim as a result of poor adoption.

The Go Edition is different and better. It comes with its own operating system, specially optimized apps and the play store too.

Important Features of Android Go Edition

1. Operating System Requires Less Space

   One problem all Android users can identify with is inadequate storage space. Even though Google has been working effortlessly to trim its operating system, it still takes lots of space and most times users are left with only half the space as a phone is taken out of the box.

   The Go Edition will be different. The Go operating system is specially optimized to take less than half the space required for Android v7 Nougat. That means you’ll have twice more space out of the box when your device is running on the Go Edition. This arguably tops the list of important features of Android Go edition.

2. Designed to be faster

   Google is concerned about time. We all know we don’t have much time in the 24 hours allocated to us each day (by nature, of course).

   To save more time, the Go Edition apps are optimized to load faster than your regular Android apps – about 15 percent faster! Another one of the important features of Android Go.

3. Special suits of apps

   The Go Edition comes with its own set of apps. You probably are already familiar with some. For instance the new Google’s file manager: File Go. You can install it from the Playstore and have a taste of what the Go operating system will feel like.

   Aside the file manager Go, Google is also set to release other apps for the operating system:

• Google Go
• Google Maps Go
• Gmail Go
• Google Play Store
• Chrome
• Files Go
• Google Assistant Go
• YouTube Go
• Gboard Go

All other apps will be optimized but Chrome won’t change. However, it’ll be optimized to save data usage and to load faster.

To give you an idea of how these apps will function relative to the current set of apps, you can view them like the Lite version of apps in Playstore. Lite versions of apps like the Facebook are specially optimized to load faster, run on slow networks, take up less space (Facebook app takes about 100mb space while the Facebook Lite takes less than 2mb) and use very little data to achieve the same aim.

The optimization of these apps will lead to losing some functions, no doubt, since they’ll be stripped of most animations and other beautiful interfaces to make them more suitable for a smaller RAM phone. But most of us still prefer the Lite versions of most apps anyway, so the optimization will probably not be a problem.

4. Special play store app

   Android Go Edition has a regular play store like we know it today. The Playstore comes in two sections: Go apps and normal Android operating system apps. This gives users the ability to install both types of apps.

   However, Android system apps when installing on the Go operating systems will be much slower since the phone will not have enough power to handle them.

When will Android Go Edition be released?

Oreo Go Edition is already on the market. It was released at the same time as the Android version 8 Oreo. The Oreo, however, is termed Android v8.1.

Phones already sporting the Android Go Edition

There are quite a number of smartphones already running on the Android Oreo Go Edition:

• Alcatel 1x
• Nokia 1
• Micromax Bharat Go
• Lava Z50
• GM 8 Go
• ZTE Tempo Go
• TECNO F series

We are yet to see most of these phones in Nigeria because they are mostly targeted at the Indian market. But OEM giant, TECNO launched a couple of devices in its 2018 Global Spring Launch powered by the OS and itel mobile too already has plans in place to launch some devices running on Oreo Go this year.

Google planned for phones sporting the Android Go Edition to sell at a more cheaper price, no more than N10,000. This way, the next billion (remember that?) can afford smartphones that are as fast as other high-end smartphones we know today.

However, this was not the case as most of the smartphones sporting the Go Edition cost between N30,000 to N40,000. This is pretty much a good deal because, ordinarily, you probably will not be able to get fast phone as the Go Edition without spending up to N70,000 to N100,000.

Google still believes in the next billion and we know how hard it is working to make smartphones not only more affordable but faster and better. Expect to see better-performing smartphones sporting the Go Edition at very affordable prices in the next years and above all, expect more visitors to the virtual world because a billion people are on their way.

Author Bio:

Fouad Atitebi is the founder of NairaTechnology, a consumer electronics blog in Nigeria. He shares useful information on tech products including cheap android phones in Nigeria.