Google has announced Android 12 (Go edition), as the lightweight version of their Android 12 OS aimed at entry-level and affordable smartphones. According to Google, over 200 million users are currently using the lightweight Android Go edition on their smartphones, and Android 12 (Go edition) will bring new features and optimisations to these users.
Google claims that entry-level smartphones on Android 12 (Go edition) will be able to open apps faster, with improved app launch times of up to 30%. Google is also bringing the SplashScreen API to Android Go, which allows an app’s icon on a blank background to show on the screen for a few seconds while the app loads the UI. This makes for a smoother user experience.
Android 12 (Go edition) will also extend the battery life and storage space of entry-level smartphones, as the OS will automatically hibernate unused apps. The Files Go app by Google will allow users to restore deleted files for up to 30 days.
Users on Android 12 (Go edition) will be able to translate on-screen content, or listen to it, right from the recents screen. Google has also made app sharing easier via Nearby Share and the Google Play Store. Android 12 (Go edition) will also make user profiles easily switchable from the lock screen, making it easier for multiple people to share one device.
Finally, Android 12 (Go edition) also gets the major improvements made in Android 12 regarding privacy, as the privacy dashboard comes to Android Go. The privacy dashboard will show users which apps are accessing sensitive permissions like location, camera, and microphone, and at what specific times. Privacy indicator icons on the statusbar will pop up whenever an app accesses the device’s camera or microphone, just as in Android 12.
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Google has said that Android 12 (Go edition) will launch with new devices in 2022.