Micromax to launch the first Android Go smartphone in India later this month

Indian handset maker Micromax is set to launch the first Android Go (Oreo Edition) smartphone in India later this month, according to a statement released by the company.

Called Bharat Go, the device will be an entry-level smartphone. Bharat is the company’s existing series of devices focused on lower-tier of the market and for first-time smartphone buyers.

Aimed at developing markets such as India with low smartphone penetration, Android Go (Oreo Edition) is a toned-down version of the latest Android Oreo operating system with the platform, first-party apps, and the Google Play Store optimized for low-end devices. The average app is 15% faster on an Android Go device and the pre-installed apps (Go edition ones) are also optimized and take up to 50% less storage space. These include Google Go, Google Assistant Go, YouTube Go, Google Maps Go, Gmail Go, Gboard, Google Play, Chrome, and the new Files Go app by Google.

While the pricing and specifications of Bharat Go haven’t been revealed at this point, the device is expected to offer 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage and will be priced under ₹5,000 ($78).

Other than Micromax, HMD Global too is also said to be working on its Android Oreo Go smartphone, dubbed the Nokia 1.