The News Of Tomorrow, Today

Subscribe

Android 11 Go Now 20 Per Cent Faster, Works With More Phones

Tegan Jones Avatar
Tegan Jones
Android 11 Go Now 20 Per Cent Faster, Works With More Phones

This week Google launched Android 11. Now it has also unveiled the Android 11 Go operating system for budget, low-powered phones. And it sure has gotten some upgrades this year.

What is Android Go?

Android Go first launched on Android Pie back in 2018. It’s basically an optimised version of Android for entry-level smart phones. It also allows for Go versions of apps so they can run more efficiently on low-powered devices.

The likes of Twitter, Uber, Google Maps and Spotify have all have versions that are optimised for Go.

What to expect from Android 11 Go

Android 11 Go includes a few handy upgrades. When it comes to speed, Google has said apps will launch 20 per cent faster on Android 11 than on Android 10.

This means that even in the two years since it was first introduced, its gotten exponentially faster. Last year it already had a 10 per cent speed increase compared to the Android Pie edition.

Android 11 Go will also have increased compatibility. It is said to now work on devices with 2GB RAM or less. Previous versions of Go were designed for phones with 1.5GB RAM or less.
Google specifically called out memory-intensive features such as fingerprint scanners and dual cameras in budget devices being the reason for this upgrade.
“As more of these memory-intensive features come to entry-level smartphones, our partners have asked us to improve performance on these devices, particularly around speed, storage, and memory. So, starting next month Android (Go edition) will be available on all new devices with up to 2GB of memory,” Google said in a blog post.
“With the expansion to 2GB, apps launch up to 20 percent faster, and with an additional 270 MB of additional free memory, people can now run three to four more apps in the background. Android (Go edition) on 2GB devices also comes with up to 900MB of additional free storage space—enough to take up to 300 more selfies and download an entire movie.”
But there is a caveat.
According to The Verge, Android 11 Go will only launch on new phones that fall into this updated memory bracket.
We also don’t know which new devices will have Android Go built in. Google told The Verge that it will be a manufacturer’s choice as to whether it loads a new low-powered device with Android 10 or Android 11. However, it did not detail specific device examples.

Other new features

There are a few other new additions to Android 11 Go. These include:
  • Grouped notifications for messaging apps so all conversations are in one place. For example, you will be able to see chats on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp in one notification space.
  • One time permissions for apps wanting access to your location, camera or microphone.
  • Auto reset for permissions on apps you haven’t used in awhile.
  • Gesture-based navigation to switch between the home screen and different apps.
  • Safe Folder in File By Google that allows a folder to be encrypted and protected by a four digit code.