Android Go

Android Go was announced during the opening keynote of the Google I/O developers conference in Mountain View on Wednesday.

Is it a new version of Android?

Android Go is not a new version of Android, it’s not a different Android, it’s a project name inside Google.

Can Android Go devices run all Android apps?

Android Go is an internal name - but the OS

that these partners will be shipping will be

Android O - there’s no separate OS called

Android Go.

So what will be different about Android Go

devices?Think of Android Go as a bunch of presets that your Android

O device will ship with. Some OS settings will be switched on

(or off) by default; some Google apps will be a bit different

than other Android O devices; and the Google Play Store will

highlight third-party apps optimised for the Go experience.

The three cornerstones of Android GoTo optimise the Android operating system to run

smoothly on entry-level devices, starting with

Android O.

To make sure that Google apps that we load on

these devices are also optimised, which means that

we are rebuilding many of the Google apps.

To optimise the Play Store to highlight the apps

that are tuned to the needs of users that are coming

online for the first time.

Will Android Go device only be able to

run apps optimised for the Go

experience?All Android apps that run on any ‘regular’ Android

O device will also run on Android Go devices,

barring of course any apps that may not be

compatible with your hardware or not available in

your region, something that’s the case even today

with Android N (or earlier).

Can Android Go devices install the ‘regular’

versions of their default apps?In one word- Yes.

For example, Searching for YouTube on Google Play Store on

Android Go devices will show the ‘regular’ YouTube app as

well, and users will be free to install this app on their phone.

How many users will actually do something like this when

they already have a YouTube app on their phone is debatable.

Can ‘regular’ Android devices run

apps optimised for Android Go?Absolutely. While these apps are optimised for

entry-level Android Go devices, there’s nothing

stopping your Google Pixel XL or Samsung

Galaxy S8, for example, from downloading and

running, say, the YouTube Go app. These apps

will also show up like any other app when you

search for something via the Play Store on your

device.

How does Android Go differ

from Android One?Android One focused on three things -

first, specifying hardware.

Google UI for any device with Android

One brand.

Regular security updates from the device

manufacturer to have.

When will the first Android Go

devices ship?As announced at the keynote, the first

Android Go devices are expected to hit

the market in 2018.

Will I see Android Go update on my

existing device?Almost certainly no.

The focus of the Android Go project is on new

devices only, so don’t expect your existing

entry-level phone to get Android O’s Go

configuration.

Thank You!