Google launches Android Oreo (Go edition) for entry-level phones

Google made a number of announcements at the #GoogleForIndia event. The company launched new apps and features tailor made for India. Here we list a few of them-

a) Android Oreo (Go edition)-

The company has launched a lightweight version of Android Oreo for entry-level devices. The Android Oreo (Go edition) is designed to give best possible OS experience to users in spite of hardware limitations. The Android Oreo (Go edition) works with phones having 512MB and 1GB RAM.

Sameer Samat, VP, Product Management, Android + Play, Google said, "Devices from our partners are shipping in the next few months and our OS code for Android Ore( Go edition) has been open sourced today as a part of Android Oreo 8.1." The Android Oreo (Go edition) comes with a set of pre-installed apps including Google Go, Google Assistant for Android Oreo(Go edition), designed to be more lighter and relevant for the next billion users.

b) Google Go-

Secondly, the company announced a new app for Google Search named Google Go. The Google Go app available as a preview in Google Play Store in India and Indonesia is very simple to use and fast even in entry-level devices with poor internet connectivity. The app is a light version of Google Search but with more functionalities. It is less than 5MB in size and the search results are optimized to save 40 percent data. Also, the search result answers can be seen in various languages including Hindi and English. Shashi Thakur, VP Engineering, Search, Google said, "While building Google Go, we worked with volunteers from over 170 cities in India to gather feedback to implement everything from the design to the core functionality of the app."

c) Files Go-

Lastly, the company announced Files Go app. The app helps free up space, find files faster and share files offline with people nearby. Beta testers of Files Go reported being able to free up more than 1GB of data space. Ceaser Sengupta, Vice President, Next Billion Users, Google, said, "Users often struggle to keep on top of the storage space on their phones and are constantly having to choose between what to keep or delete. We’ve been testing Files Go for a month, and the average user is saving 1GB of space and has shared many files with others without using data."

The Files Go app is compatible with devices running Android Lollipop and higher.