Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in early 2017 that emerging markets like India could really use smartphones that cost as little as $30. Android Go, which was announced at the company's I/O developer conference later that year, was a direct move toward realizing that vision. Long story short, it's a way to bring an up-to-date Android to experience to everyone, no matter how limited their budget.
Here we are a year later, and we've seen Android Oreo Go edition devices popping up on store shelves around the world. ZTE has one. Nokia has a few, and Motorola and Samsung are gearing up to release their first. But what is it actually like to use? To find out, I've been testing an Alcatel 1X -- so far the only Go edition device available in the US. It's quickly become clear that Android Go is not only a software platform but also a series of compromises, intricately laid atop one another, all in hopes of making Android even better for cheap phones.
Android Oreo
Pros
Android Go takes up less storage space
You can still install any Android app
Some Go apps work surprisingly well
The Play Store helpfully flags lighter versions of apps
Cons
It's difficult to tell which apps will run poorly Maps Go is very frustrating
Phone makers can still skin Android Go
Value isn't clear on $100 phones
Summary
Low-end smartphones often get stuck with old versions of Android, but with Android Oreo Go Edition, Google is trying to make sure even the cheapest devices get modern software. To be clear, it's not going to make a $100 phone run like a flagship device. Still, some under-the-hood changes mean this Go-edition software is more aggressive about shutting down apps that aren't in use and (more importantly) doesn't eat up as much storage space. Sadly, some of the Go apps designed specifically for these phones are pretty lousy, and Google needs to do a better job of flagging non-Go apps that actually run well on Go devices.
The basics
To be clear, Android Go edition isn't itself a distinct version of Android. It's a special configuration of tried and true Android 8.1 Oreo that's been optimized for devices with 1GB of RAM or less. That means Google put a lot of work into making sure its software runs well on low-end devices. Among other things, it nearly halved the amount of space Oreo takes up, which is crucial when you realize that some of these Go devices only have 8GB of internal storage. It also made the software more aggressive about memory management in a bid to keep things running smoothly. You'll notice a few interface tweaks as well, like a flatter view of recent app cards while multitasking, but this software runs just how you'd expect from Android on a low-end device.
In other words, it's never amazing. Switching between multiple running apps in particular can be problematic because of the RAM limitations, but I've never been flat-out unable to do anything. Sometimes it just takes a little longer than usual. While Android Go will never make a cheap phone feel like a full-on flagship, it at least makes inexpensive hardware feel usable.
Don't expect all flavors of Android Oreo Go Edition to look the same though. Smartphone makers have the latitude to skin this software just as they would full-blown Android -- thankfully, they've mostly exercised restraint so far. Just look at the Nokia 1: The phone itself might be cheery and colorful, but the brand's corporate owner, HMD Global, has left Android Go almost completely untouched. Meanwhile, Alcatel has skinned Android Go with its own lightweight launcher, and Samsung will almost certainly transplant the interface from its more powerful smartphones to its upcoming Android Go devices. I can't imagine custom skins would be any easier on limited hardware than the stock Android interface, but I'd be willing to bet Google made the concession to give smartphone makers a reason to embrace Go.
The Software
Google's under-the-hood changes go a long way in making Android more usable on low-end phones, but there's more to the Android Go experience than that. Fewer Google apps are preinstalled by default, and the ones that do make the cut aren't the versions you and I are used to; they're lightweight Go variants tailor-made for this kind of hardware.
Using these Go apps has been the most fascinating part of getting to know Android Go, because it's clear Google has trimmed more from some apps than others. Gmail Go is a perfect example: I haven't noticed a single substantial difference from the standard Gmail app, aside from the amount of space it eats up. On my Alcatel test device, Gmail Go actually took up more space than its counterpart. (Go figure.) Then there's Files Go, an excellent file manager that among other things suggests ways to free up extra space and lets you send files to other devices through a direct WiFi connection. This is one of the few Go apps that doesn't run solely on Android Go phones, and it's so useful that it's worth installing no matter what phone you use.
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