Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Google launches Pie edition of Android Go: Smaller, faster, and more secure
- Today, Google announced the Android Go Pie edition, which is smaller, faster, and more secure than the Oreo version.
- The announcement comes only a week after the stable launch of Android 9.0 Pie.
- Google also gave updates on the various “Go” versions of its popular apps.
Last year, Google launched Android Go, a version of Android 8.0 Oreo that is smaller and simpler, and thus perfect for incredibly cheap budget devices.
Today, only a week after the official launch of Android 9.0 Pie, Google announced the Pie version of Android Go, which is even smaller, faster, and more secure than the Oreo version.
Google touts that the Pie version of Android Go will free up more space on the typically-small ROM drives that come with Android Go devices. Check out this graphic for an example:
As you can see, a typical Android install would take up 5.5GB of an 8GB flash drive, or about 70 percent of its capacity. The Oreo version of Android Go took up only 3GB of space (or about 38 percent of the drive), and now the Pie version of Android Go will take up only 2.5GB of space, which leaves about 70 percent of the drive free.
With the Pie version of Android Go, Google also promises faster boot times, security features like verified boot, and a dashboard for tracking data consumption. These new features and upgrades will make entry-level devices even better.
According to Google, there are more than 200 Android Go devices available in over 120 countries, some of which are as cheap as $30. There are over 100 OEMs planning to release an Android Go device in 2018, which is astonishing.
Along with the launch of the new Android Go, Google also summed up the progress it’s made with the Go versions of its popular Android apps and services.
For example, Google Go will now read web pages out loud, highlighting each word on the screen as it is spoken. Users can download videos in YouTube Go, and Maps Go will give turn-by-turn navigation directions for travelers moving by car, bus, or on foot (see above). New languages are also available for Google Assistant Go.
You can read Google’s blog entry summarizing all the new updates here. For more information on Android Go, check out our summary article here.
NEXT: Motorola surprises everyone with its first Android Go phone