Google launches Android Go based on Android 10 for entry-level phones

Today, Google officially took the lid off Android Go based on Android 10, the latest iteration of the operating system designed specifically for entry-level phones. The new OS is smaller, faster, and better than ever.

Android Go is built to run on phones that have 1.5GB of RAM or less. Phones such as these are very popular in developing markets where, for many people, their first (and only) connection to the internet will be an Android Go-based smartphone.

These phones are usually incredibly inexpensive because Android Go doesn’t necessitate high-end hardware to run properly.

What’s more, the “lite” apps designed for Android Go are usually much smaller and leaner than their “normal” counterparts. This, interestingly, makes them appealing even for people who have high-end phones, as the popularity of Files by Google has shown.

Let’s check out what’s new!

What’s new in Android Go based on Android 10

As one would expect, the biggest changes to Android Go based on Android 10 are that it’s faster and smaller. According to Google, this new version of Android Go is now the leanest version of the operating system ever, taking up roughly half as much space as Android 7 Nougat. The OS taking up less space is very important, as many Android Go devices only ship with 8GB of internal storage.

The system is also faster — Google says apps launch 10% faster on Android Go based on Android 10 as compared to the Go variant based on Android 9 Pie.

An important new feature of Android Go based on Android 10 is Adiantum (not to be confused with Adamantium). Adiantum is an encryption protocol specifically developed by Google to run on entry-level phones.

Related: Android Go — What is it and which phones run it?

Traditional encryption requires some pretty powerful processing, so running normal encryption protocols on Android Go phones would cause lag or other issues. Adiantum brings encryption to these phones without putting too much stress on the system.

Finally, Google is working on the efficiency of the individual apps that run on Android Go based on Android 10, which includes YouTube Go, Google Lens, Gallery Go (based on Google Photos), and, of course, the ever-popular Files by Google. The company claims apps are now 50% smaller than they were on previous versions of Android Go.

Since the launch of Android Go, there have been over 1,600 different entry-level phones sold with the operating system, with some as cheap as $27. Hopefully, Android Go based on Android 10 will only increase those numbers.