At the Mobile World Congress (MWC), a number of low-cost Android phones featuring Android Go debuted, and many analysts predict that they could eventually change the way people living in developing economies use Android.
Android Go is a customized version of Oreo, which is the latest edition of Google’s popular mobile operating system. This version was built specifically to run on inexpensive devices with low specifications. The operating system was originally announced to run on devices with less than 1 GB or RAM, but it has since been tweaked to also use less disk space and less bandwidth.
Before Android Go, those who could not afford flagship phones, such as Google’s own Pixel line of devices (which includes most of the world) were forced to use older versions of Android. These versions, of course, lack the features of new versions of Android. So, Android Go is an attempt by Google to allow all of its users to experience the same set of features. It will not perhaps make a $100 as good as a flagship device, but it will at least make it usable.
A number of large phone manufacturers launched Android Go devices at MWC. This includes ZTE, Micromax, Lava and General Mobile. But analysts so far have focused on two releases in particular.
The first is Alcatel’s 1X. For around $120, the phone features a 5.3″ screen with a 18:9 screen aspect ratio. It also has 1 GB of RAM and a MediaTek quad-core processor. Analysts noted that the device performs well, especially as it contains little in terms of bloatware.
Analysts, though, liked the Nokia 1 even more. The device has similar specs as the 1X, but it comes with a 4.7″ screen. They liked it more because it seemed to run faster and smoother than the 1X. What’s more, it sells for only $85.
These new devices also demonstrated Android Go versions of common Google apps, such as GMail, YouTube and Assistant, and they appeared to run well on the low-spec devices.
