14 DAY TRIAL // One of the biggest announcements during Google I/O was Android Go, a new Google project aimed at making Android OS run smoothly even on devices with lower specs. The initiative would give the impression that it’s aimed at emerging markets, but that’s not entirely the case.
Android Go will be available for smartphones that have 1GB or less of RAM capacity, and the System UI and build only take up about 512MB of space. Android Go is said to come with its own Play store version that shows Lite variants of some of the most popular apps available out there, one of which is YouTube Go.
It would be natural to assume that Android Go was aimed mainly at emerging markets, where the number of low-end smartphones is quite high, but that’s not the case. Although the initiative is aimed at devices that cost less than $100, Google intends to make Android Go available across the globe and has identified the US as the second market in its list of targeted countries. It seems that the US is among the largest markets for entry-level smartphones that cost less than $100, according to a report.
Android Go won’t replace Android One
Google has said that all smartphones with 1GB of RAM or less will receive Android Go configuration, which will be present in all Android OS versions going forward.
Android Go will function in conjunction with Android One. Google has recently said that it doesn’t intend to replace the Android One project, but rather bring added value with the new Go configuration. In terms of actual functionality, Android Go will get a Recents view menu aimed at improving latency and reducing the memory footprint.
Google will replace the staggered cards view with the full preview and allow users to simply swipe between them. The tech giant explained that users of entry-level smartphones usually switch between about three or four applications, as the limited storage amount and RAM capacity doesn’t encourage them to use a large number of apps. Android Go will most likely arrive with Android O later this year.