Android Go - Here's all you need to know

Android Go is a version of Android that has been stripped down to run on entry-level smartphones. Android Go is meant for developing countries with low purchasing power, where customers are looking for sub-$100 smartphones that work faster, provide more storage, and help reduce data consumption.

Google's goal with Android Go is to bring their Google apps and services to a new generation of users, and by offering a version of Android that can work on low-end hardware, they give manufacturers a new market they can bring devices to.

Android Go is made up of three optimized areas - the operating system, Google Play Store, and Google apps - all of which have been reimagined to provide a better experience on lesser hardware.

Operating System

Android Go is based on Android Oreo, which has been optimized to run on smartphones with 512 MB to 1 GB of RAM. It takes up around half the space of Android Nougat, allowing smartphones with lower storage more room for apps and personal content. With these optimizations, Android Go devices are capable of opening apps 15 percent faster than previous versions of Android.

Another issue with regions that use these kinds of devices is the lack of unlimited data plans. Google has enabled the “data saver” feature for Android Go users by default to help them consume less mobile data.

Apps

Android Go smartphones come with nine pre-installed apps. Google has developed optimized versions of these apps which make better use of the device's memory. These apps require 50 percent less space and offer improved performance on low-end hardware.

• Google Go
• Google Assistant Go
• YouTube Go

• Google Maps Go
• Gmail Go
• Gboard Go

• Google Play Store
• Chrome
• Files Go

While these apps load and operate faster than their regular counterparts, keep in mind that they may be missing a few features. For example, you can’t set reminders or control smart home devices with Assistant Go, but you can do most other standard things like set alarms, open apps, and ask various questions.

Google has set up 'Building for Billions' guidelines, to help developers put together their own Android Go apps, so we will eventually see more of these apps available for Android Go devices.

Play Store

Since Android Go requires optimized apps, users have their own version of the Play Store on Android Go devices. While it offers all of the same content as the regular Play Store the main store page shows content optimized for low-storage devices. It has a featured apps section that recommends apps specifically for Android Go handsets, pointing users in the direction of apps that will be of most benefit to them.