Everything you need to know about Android Go

Everything you need to know about Android Go

Google has a new version of Android – but it’s not a full-fat upgrade: Android Go is optimised especially for cheaper phones. This slimmed-down version takes up less space and goes easier on the processor, meaning your £80 budget blower should handle all tasks with nary a sputter. Here’s everything you need to know.

Built for budget

At its simplest, Go is a version of Android that’s been optimised for entry-level (read: lower-powered) smartphones. The version that’s being released to the public is technically known as Android Oreo (Go Edition), which will help differentiate it from later builds.

Good with just one gig

It promises quicker, slicker performance on handsets with 1GB of RAM or less. That’s because the phones come with fewer apps pre-installed, which makes the handsets less clogged. This has the added bonus of giving you more free storage to play with. And who doesn’t like more storage?

Lightweight apps

The apps themselves also take up less space (about 50 per cent less, according to Google), and are less processor-intensive than standard Android apps. With super-light updates and downloads, your budget Android blower should motor along without slowing down like a tricycle stuck in treacle.

Google’s good to go

This being Android, Google apps are the first to be optimised for Go. Files Go is a new app from Google that lets you quickly find files and delete any unwanted content. Google Go, meanwhile, brings together some of the most-used Google features, like web search, voice search, GIF search and image search, YouTube, Google Weather, Google Translate and Google Maps.

Help on the go

You also get Google Assistant Go – a stripped-back version of Assistant, Google’s voice-activated, AI-powered personal assistant. It can still answer your questions, set timers for you and – yes – crack awful jokes, but now on phones with 1GB of memory or less.

Nokia’s on board

The first Android Go phones were announced at Mobile World Congress 2018. The poster boy is the Nokia 1, an eye-catchingly colourful phone whose swappable Xpress-on covers have more character than a busload of Lady Gaga fans. Make no mistake: it’s a seriously exciting phone for under £100.

More new mobiles

ZTE also jumped on the Android Go bandwagon with the ZTE Tempo Go. It too looks like a decent budget option, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 chipset and 1GB of RAM. Alcatel’s 1X is similarly low-specced, though stands apart from the crowd thanks to its facial recognition feature.

Coming in April

The first Android Go phones go on sale in April. So you could have a fresher, slimmed-down budget Android experience in time for the Spring (when it finally arrives).