Android goes on a diet with Pie (Go edition)

With Android Oreo (Go edition) unveiled last year, Google aimed to deliver a fast and smooth experience optimised for first-time and entry-level smartphone owners. After the first wave of Android (Go edition) phones hit the market earlier this year, with several manufacturers across 120+ countries adopting the optimised version of Android for entry-level devices, Google has gone ahead with the Go edition of Android 9 Pie.

Similar to the Oreo (Go edition), the Pie (Go edition) is meant to run smoothly on devices with an HD or regular VGA screen, up to 4/ 8/16GB of storage and 3G or 4G support. However, Google has made sure that the users get more free storage than before on the new OS. With Pie (Go edition), devices will liberate 500MB of additional storage, which comes across as a substantial upgrade for a budget device. Additionally, some under-the-hood tweaks have also resulted in faster boot times and enhanced security with a verified boot. Users can also keep a tab on their data consumption with a new dashboard feature.

Android Go is nothing without its Go series of apps and Google has revamped all of them for a better and more intuitive experience. The Google Go app now offers the ability to read web pages aloud while highlighting each word. YouTube Go uses fewer data and gets a gallery mode for downloaded content. Maps Go features navigation, on unstable connections with turn-by-turn directions in a car, bus, or on foot.

Files Go is now capable of transferring data peer-to-peer, without using mobile data, at speeds up to 490Mbps. Assistant Go now offers additional languages and supports device actions like controlling Bluetooth, camera and flashlight, and added reminders. Android Messages for Android (Go edition) is now 50 per cent smaller in size and the Phone App includes caller ID and spam detection.

Android Pie (Go edition) will be released in October, following which manufacturers will be able to roll it out to existing Go devices or on new handsets.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.