Designed to smartphones with 2 GB of RAM or less. This phrase, taken from the official Android page, defines very well what it is Android Go. Or rather they should have given him the name of Android Basic Edition or Cheap Edition. Android Go is the solution for manufacturers and users who want a smartphone with the basic functions And don’t go too overboard on the price.
And it is that at present, a smartphone can cost between 150 and 1,500 euros. According Statistical, the average price of a phone is around 300 dollars. And keep in mind that if you want to enjoy Android in all its splendor, that number will go up. Google’s Pixel 6 sells for more than €600. Is it worth shelling out that money when you just want to use the basic features of a standard smartphone?
A classic mobile phone, for calls and SMS messages, can be obtained for only 20 euros. But if you want to have WhatsApp, Gmail, Facebook, Youtube or Google Maps, things change. How to satisfy users who do not need so many pegapixels or a next-generation screen but want to access the Internet from their phones? That’s what Android Go is for.
Android for basic devices
Like any operating system, Android has been evolving and incorporating news in each new version. If you can do more and more complex things, it is inevitable that this will translate to phones or devices with more powerful processors and with more processing cores, more RAM, more professional cameras and sharper screens. The result is more complete smartphones with an increasingly higher price.
But not everyone needs all the features offered by a phone of 1,000 euros. Calls, messages and the basic apps. Android Go was born at the end of 2017 for this purpose. Respond to those who want a cheap smartphone and in which Android can work without being harmed by the modest specifications of this type of phone. Hence, one of the hallmarks of Android Go is that it only needs 2 GB of RAM, when most phones already have 4, 8 or even 16 GB of RAM. To give us an idea, the first Android phone, the HTC Dream from late 2008, had 192 MB of RAM. How things have changed in 14 years.
In practice, Android Go requires less RAM, takes up less phone memory, apps are lighter, open faster, and generally consume less mobile data. The result, functional phones with smartphone features. On the other hand, there are advanced functions that are left out. But the user to whom these phones are directed will not miss them.
Interestingly, Android Go was initially released for hedge emerging markets like India, but today we can find Android Go phones in more than 180 countries. So if you are looking for a basic and cheap smartphone, it will not cost you much to find it.
Android Go and the Google ecosystem
Regarding the use of applications, Google Play for Android Go has over 2 million apps ready to download and install. So you don’t have to give up Spotify, Instagram or Youtube because you don’t want to spend so much on a smartphone. This includes the wide range of applications and services of Google itself.
YouTube, Gmail, Maps, DriveGoogle’s own search engine, its translator… It is even possible to use Google functions such as Google Lens to translate texts in real time from your phone’s camera. Or the google assistant to interact with your phone using voice commands. And as an alternative to more complex applications like google photos (Google Photos in Spanish), Android Go incorporates Gallery Go. Lighter, with offline mode but with the basic features of her big sister, like organization and editing automatic. The Android Go camera also surprises with advanced features such as self-editing or its older sister’s portrait mode.
Another advantage that Android Go brings is that It is usually updated at the same time than her older sister, Android. Since its birth, along with Android 8.1, this has been fulfilled. The first Android Go with a difference of months, but from now on, after a few weeks if Android is published, its Go version does. So after the launch of Android 12, Android 12 Go was not long in coming. With some of its characteristics, focused on privacy, as well as others more typical such as be faster software and take up less space. while consume less mobile data and allows to lengthen the battery duration. Four pillars that must be met as best as possible so that the user experience does not suffer.
How to recognize a phone with Android Go
How do we differentiate an Android smartphone from one with Android Go? Reviewing what was explained above, it is relatively easy. To begin with, the manufacturers themselves indicate that the phone’s software is Android Go. Or they should indicate it. A look at the sheet in any online or physical store will tell us the inches of the screen, the megapixels of the camera, the processor cores and, of course, if it counts with Android Go and what version.
In this sense, it is appropriate take into account the version of the operating system. Something as important as in Android. At the time of this writing, the latest version is Android 12 Go, released in December 2021. Previous versions are as follows:
- 2017: Android 8.1Go (for devices between 512MB and 1GB of RAM)
- 2018: Android 9Go
- 2019: Android 10Go (for devices with 1.5 GB of RAM or less)
- 2020: Android 11Go (for devices with 2GB RAM or less)
- 2021: Android 12Go
It will be more difficult to know if we can update the phone in question. That is, if you bring Android 9 Go with you,can i update it to Android 10Go? The answer is similar to what happens with Android. Depends on the manufacturer. There are old devices that receive an update, others take time to receive it and others, directly, cannot be updated.
Another obvious feature that allows us to recognize a phone with Android Go is that it has the google apps with the nickname Go. Namely: Google Go, YouTube Go, Maps Go, Gallery Go, Assistant Go… A simple glance is enough to detect them.
Which do I choose: Android or Android Go?
There are many parameters that lead us to choose one phone or another. The battery life, the quality of the screen or the camera, the operating system and the version, that the manufacturer is of our trust, the price of the device… Of course, if you are looking for the latest, the newest, the most powerful… Forget Android Go.
Opting for an Android smartphone or its younger brother depends on several factors. Especially the economic one. If it is for the price, but you are going to miss certain functions or features of Android, you can find relatively cheap Android phones that perform well. Especially. In this way, Xiaomi does a great job of squeezing resources out of your devices without sacrificing performance. And at an affordable price.
If you just want a low-priced smartphone with basic functions and the usual apps in the TOP of Google Play, Android Go is the ideal option. You will spend less data, you will consume less battery and you will cover the range of tasks you want to do. When you come up short, upgrading to a more expensive device won’t be as much of a problem as the other way around, as the initial outlay it will have been less. Or put another way, your first smartphone it can easily be an Android Go to get acquainted with it. When you want to go further, you are always in time to purchase an Android.