Google Launches Go Edition of Android Oreo for Low End Phones

With the Android 8.1 update coming soon, Google has ensured that entry level phones can keep pace with everyone else.

In a blog post today, Google announced Android Oreo Go Edition, which is designed for phones with low RAM, memory and processing power.

Android’s Director of Product Management, Sagar Kamdar explains that,

To make sure billions more people can get access to computing, it’s important that entry-level devices are fully functioning smartphones that can browse the web and use apps.

He added that Android is now running on 2 billion devices around the world “with more users in India than the U.S”.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into Android Oreo Go Edition.

What is it?

As the name implies, this is Android Oreo with more focus on saving data, using less storage and optimizing resource use.

There are three main components of the OS:

• Operating system: Data management, performance and storage improvements in addition to security features.
• Google Apps: Smaller and lighter apps from Google’s ecosystem.
• Google Play Store: Tuned up version of the Play Store which lets you download any app while also pointing out apps that would work best on your phone.

How Does it Work?

Oreo Go Edition is enhanced for speedy app launches on entry level smartphones. On average, apps will launch 15% faster with other optimizations added as well.

Sagar notes that,

If all entry level Android devices launched apps 15 percent faster, that would save the world a cumulative one million hours of time—every day!

Google apps take up a lot of space on a regular phone. To minimize Oreo Go Edition’s footprint, the preinstalled Google apps will now take up 50% less space.

It will come with Google Go, Google Assistant Go, YouTube Go, Google Maps Go, Gmail Go, Gboard, Google Play, Chrome, and Files Go.

Files Go in particular is important as it can help you remove “spam, duplicate images or unused apps from your phone”.

Android Oreo Go Edition will also feature Google’s data saving feature which will be turned on by default. It will allow you to limit the amount of data apps use in the background, giving you more control over your data usage.

Even though it optimizes or cuts down on many things, Oreo Go Edition will feature all the security features from the base Android Oreo OS. Google Play Protect will also be built in. It scans the apps you install (even when you’re offline) no matter where you download them from.

Lastly Google Play Store has also been updated with a new section that recommends apps that are tuned to run on entry level phones. It still lets you install all the apps so you won’t have to worry about losing the important ones.

When is it Coming?

Android Oreo Go Edition will launch with Android Oreo 8.1. Smartphone companies will be able to ship their entry level phones with the Go Edition in the next few months.

Via Google Blog