Android Go

Nowadays, Android Go is a topic on everyone's lips. Whether due to its relevance in the social sphere, its impact on the economy or its influence on popular culture, Android Go has captured the attention of a large number of people around the world. This phenomenon is not surprising, as Android Go possesses a number of characteristics that make it worthy of study and interest by academics, experts, and enthusiasts alike. In this article, we will explore in depth some of the most prominent facets of Android Go, analyzing its importance today and its potential impact in the future. Through a rigorous and exhaustive analysis, we will seek to shed light on this highly relevant topic and offer a comprehensive vision that allows readers to better understand its scope and significance.

Android Go
Android Go 10 home screen with Pixel Launcher
DeveloperVarious (mostly Google)
OS familyUnix-like (modified Linux kernel)
Working stateCurrent
Initial releaseDecember 5, 2017 (2017-12-05)
Latest release14 (Go edition) / December 15, 2023 (2023-12-15)
Marketing targetLow-end/ultra-budget smartphones (with 2 GB RAM or less)
PlatformsARMv7 (32-bit)
Preceded byAndroid One
Official websitewww.android.com/versions/go-edition/

Android Go, officially Android (Go edition), is a stripped-down version of the Android operating system, designed for low-end and ultra-budget smartphones (but is also used by some tablets). It is intended for smartphones with 2 GB of RAM or less and was first made available for Android Oreo. Android Go has platform optimizations designed to reduce mobile data usage (including enabling Data Saver mode by default), and a special suite of Google Mobile Services designed to be less resource and bandwidth-intensive. The Google Play Services package was also modularized to reduce its memory footprint. The Google Play Store will highlight lighter apps suited for these devices.

The operating system's interface differs from that of stock Android, with the quick-settings panel giving greater prominence to information regarding the battery, mobile-data limit, and available storage; the recent apps menu using a modified layout and being limited to four apps (in order to reduce RAM consumption), and an application programming interface (API) for allowing mobile carriers to implement data-tracking and top-ups within the Android settings menu. Some system services are disabled such as Notification access, Split-screen, and Picture-in-picture mode to improve performance.

Most devices running Android Go use Google's "stock" Android GUI, although there are several manufacturers that still use customized GUI.

Versions

Android Go was made available to OEMs for Android 8.1 and later, for Android Pie.

Code
name 		Android version
numbers 		Minimum RAM required Android Go release
date 		Android release date Days after release End of support Ref.
8.1 (Oreo) (Go edition) Old version, no longer maintained: 8.1 512 MB December 5, 2017 December 5, 2017 0 October 4, 2021
9 (Pie) (Go edition) Old version, no longer maintained: 9 August 15, 2018 August 6, 2018 9 March 7, 2022
10 (Go edition) Old version, no longer maintained: 10 September 25, 2019 September 3, 2019 22 March 6, 2023
11 (Go edition) Old version, no longer maintained: 11 1 GB September 10, 2020 September 8, 2020 2 March 2024
12 (Go edition) Older version, yet still maintained: 12 December 14, 2021 October 4, 2021 71 Current
13 (Go edition) Older version, yet still maintained: 13 2 GB October 19, 2022 August 15, 2022 65
14 (Go edition) Current stable version: 14 December 15, 2023 October 4, 2023 72
Legend:
Old version
Older version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview version
Future release

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "itel Launches itel P55T Smartphone with Android 14 (Go edition) and Long-lasting Battery". 16 December 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Android (Go edition)". Android. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  3. ^ "Lenovo Tab E7 | Easy-to-use entertainment tablet | Lenovo AU". www.lenovo.com.
  4. ^ "Lenovo Tab E10 | 10.1" family entertainment tablet | Lenovo US". www.lenovo.com.
  5. ^ "Lenovo Tab M7 (3rd Gen) Specifications" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Android (Go edition)". Android. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  7. ^ a b "Android 8.0 Oreo, thoroughly reviewed". Ars Technica. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  8. ^ ""Android Go" will strip Android down for ultra-low-budget phones". Ars Technica. Conde Nast. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  9. ^ "Android Go could help make Android O a runaway success". Engadget. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  10. ^ "Introducing Android Oreo (Go edition) with the release of Android 8.1". Blog. Google. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Android 9 Pie (Go edition): New features and more options this fall". Blog. Google. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  12. ^ "More improvements for Android on entry-level phones". Blog. Google. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Android 11 (Go edition): New features coming to more devices". Blog. Google. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  14. ^ A closer look at Android 12 (Go edition).
  15. ^ "Android 13 (Go edition): Easier to update and tailored just for you". Google. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.

External links

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia