Whether you like it or not, you can’t avoid the fact that affordable and cheap Android smartphones will continue to exist and will probably remain the most common device on the market. Since these phones are very affordable, the huge numbers represented by this market segment are hard to ignore. In fact, Google launched the Android Go project in 2017, which led to the creation of a special, streamlined version of Android with the same name.

Earlier today, Google announced a major update to the upcoming version of Android Go based on Android 12. This version-known as the Android 12 Go version, as expected-will be rolled out to millions of affordable smartphone users in 2022.

According to Google, the optimization of Android 12 Go Edition will reduce application open time by up to 30%. In view of the very slow opening time of applications on low-end mobile phones, the 30% reduction will have a tangible impact on daily Android Go users.

Affordable smartphones usually have larger battery capacities, and battery life is usually not a pain point for these devices. However, Google is not satisfied with the existing battery management system on Android Go phones, and has particularly emphasized power-saving technologies to squeeze more battery life from affordable devices running Android 12 Go.

Some features that have long existed on the mainstream Android platform will eventually enter the Android 12 Go version. These include privacy dashboards and the ability to create multiple profiles on the same phone.

Another feature that will enter Android Go is a simpler way to share apps. Instead of using data to download apps from the Play Store, this method allows users to use Google’s Nearby Share feature to share apps with nearby devices. Work on the translation function is also in progress, which is somewhat similar to the implementation we saw on JioPhone Next.

Google said that we should expect these Android 12 Go edition updates to launch affordable smartphones sometime next year.

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