Google announced Android Go back in May last year for low-cost Android devices that have 512MB to 1GB of RAM, and later in December it was renamed to Android Oreo (Go Edition) and said that Android Go edition smartphones would be available from early 2018. Today Google has announced that OEMs will introduced the first set of Android Oreo (Go Edition) smartphones at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona next week. It also said that these phones will cost less than $50 (Rs. 3250 approx.)
It already started introducing new Google apps – Google Go, Google Maps Go, Gmail Go, YouTube Go, Google Assistant Go, Files Go, Gboard Go and that these devices will come with custom experiences for Chrome, as well as a tuned version of the Google Play Store that also highlights the apps designed to work best on the Go edition devices, in addition to other apps.
Nokia 1, the company’s entry-level smartphone is expected to be one of the Android Go edition phones targeted at emerging markets. Earlier rumors said that it will come with 1GB of RAM with 8GB of internal storage and a HD IPS display. Last month Micromax confirmed that it will launch BHARAT GO, the first Android Oreo (Go Edition) smartphone in India, in partnership with Google by the end of January 2018, but we are yet to see the phone. Hope we get to hear some news about it next week.
Xiaomi launched the Mi A1 Android One smartphone in India last year. Recently Nokia 7+ smartphone with Android One branding surfaced online revealing mid-range specifications including 6-inch FHD+ display, Snapdragon 660, 12+ 13MP rear dual cameras with ZEISS Optics, 16MP front-facing camera with ZEISS optics, f/2.0 aperture, Tetracell technology and fast charging support.
Hope we can expect several Android Oreo (Go edition) and Android One smartphones running stock Android in the next few days.