Affordable phones often lack the memory capacity and processor power to handle heavier applications. Android Go, however, offers a better experience for those who buy low-end Android phones, whether in developing countries or those with a lower budget. Android Go is a reduced version of the operating system, so it doesn't have as many pre-installed applications and it has access to the “lite” or “Go” versions of Google applications. This includes Google Maps Go and Gmail Go, which are specifically intended to work seamlessly on low-end devices.
The big difference between Android Go and Android One is that Android Go doesn't come directly from Google, Google sends it to a manufacturer and then that manufacturer launches it. This also means that the manufacturer must release updates and improvements when they are removed from Google, adding a delay that doesn't exist with the Pixel or Android One user interface. Most developed countries do not use Android Go phones, but they're easy to find if you want one. Companies like Samsung, Motorola and Xiaomi have announced many more Android Go devices.
The only major Android OEM that creates Android One devices on a regular basis is HMD Global, which owns the Nokia brand. The Android Go Play Store offers the same content as the regular Play Store, only the store is better suited for low storage devices. It looks the same as the Play Store, which you can now find on normal Android, and has the entire catalog of Android applications, but it uniquely highlights applications that consume less data, storage or memory in a separate section at the top, called Optimized for your device. The operating system is based on Android Oreo, however, it has been optimized to work perfectly on smartphones with 512 MB to 1 GB of RAM, compared to the minimum of 2 GB of RAM required to run Android 7 (Nougat).
Consumers in emerging markets may not be used to making specification-based comparisons, making them more likely to choose a locally manufactured Android Go device, assuming good faith and, ultimately, overlooking better and possibly less expensive phones. These are some of the best Android Go smartphones we've seen so far, although there are others available as well. If there is a cost, it can be offset by the fact that Google itself benefits from having more users on Android, which in turn receives more traffic to its search engines and uses its applications, allowing it to place more ads in front of more users. You'll find the Snapdragon 425 chipset along with 1 GB of RAM under the hood, just like many other Android Go devices.
He also said at the time that, in the future, each version of Android will have an Android Go configuration. So is Android Go worth it? It really depends on your needs and budget. If you're looking for an affordable phone with decent performance and don't need all the bells and whistles of a high-end device, then an Android Go phone might be worth considering. However, if you're looking for something more powerful or feature-rich then you might want to look elsewhere.
