The Alcatel X1 was one of the first Android Go supported phones Alcatel

Much attention has been given to Google’s latest update to Android 9 Pie, with its shiny AI tricks and digital wellness features, but the company has also announced that it will launch the Go Edition of Pie this autumn. It's the scaled-down version of the operating system for entry-level smartphones.

Given the majority of phone manufacturers – including Samsung, Huawei, LG and Sony – haven't revealed when their flagship devices will support the full Android Pie update yet, it's possible Pie Go will be on $100 phones first. But, it's all part of Google's Android ambitions to crack emerging markets and attract millions more users.


The Android Go program – not to be confused with Android One, which specifically designed affordable hardware that ran Android software for emerging markets – aims to bring the operating system to more than 200 entry-level smartphones in areas affected by slow connectivity and less access to high-end devices. Go was originally announced in May 2017 launched last year and Google says it has reached more than 120 countries including India, Nigeria, Brazil or South Africa.

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What is Android Go?

The idea behind Android 9 Pie (Go edition) is that “there is a Go device for everyone". Even the most affordable smartphones can benefit from the Pie improvements.

In Go, these improvements have been tailored to the needs of smartphone users in emerging markets, such as the lack of connectivity. Google has recreated all of its own apps as lighter versions and bundled them with the Go operating system. YouTube Go, for instance, offers free downloading for offline viewing, a feature that cannot be found in the regular app. But the biggest change in the Go edition of Pie is increased storage: not only are there fewer pre-installed apps, but those remaining are 50 per cent smaller in size. The Files Go app also allows to quickly find unwanted files to get rid of them.


According to Google, this will enable devices running Go to have twice as much storage space available than non-Go edition phones. Facebook and Twitter also have their own light apps that are designed not to be data intensive.

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It may be Pie Go, but Alcatel will get it before you

Android 9 Pie (Go edition) is likely to hit a $100 Alcatel before the full version of Android Pie reaches your Samsung Galaxy S9. While Go edition has been announced for the end of autumn, it is still unclear when some phones may be getting the Pie update. And Google’s assertion that Pie will be released “this year” for devices that are not running Android One, or eligible for the Android P beta – this is the case of Samsung, HTC or LG for instance – seems somewhat vague.

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India, which more than 100 million Android users, and where entry-level smartphones proliferate, Google’s assurances of optimised storage, speed and data features that come with the Go edition of Android 9 Pie are auspicious.


Research conducted by The National Association of Software and Services Company (NASSCA) showed that in 2016, 70 per cent of e-commerce transactions in India happened on mobile phones. Mobiles are also the main way that people connect to the Internet.

In an interview with NDTV, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said: “we are working on making $100 smartphones, $50 smartphones but I think the right price point for India is around $30.” According to Pichai, such accessible devices are only a first step. The Android Go program should also optimise smartphones to work fast and efficiently in an effort to democratise technology.

What’s in it for Google?

Behind the philanthropy, however, the Go edition of Android 9 Pie is also another proof of Google’s successful pushing of its operating system in emerging markets, where it is competing against Nokia’s Asha operating system targeted at low-end smartphones sold under $100. Nokia’s market share in emerging markets has been on the rise thanks to those large sales of cheap phones.

This year, China and India were the two countries with the most smartphone users – almost 800 million users in China – and the smartphone penetration rates are expected to rise in the next few years.

The millions of potential users that this represents constitute a market that Google has its eyes on. And in fact, more than 100 manufacturers have planned to release devices compatible with the Android Go program before the end of the year to allow for more options when choosing a Go device. The first Android Go phone – the Alcatel 1X – was released in February 2018.


User feedback has been divided

The improved access to efficient devices for those who cannot afford an expensive smartphone that lies at the heart of Android 9 Pie (Go edition) has not won unanimous appraisal. Paying $100 for a mobile that can carry similar features to those that will be updated with Android 9 Pie can sound too good to be true.

Users who tried the Android 9 (Go edition), while recognising that the OS effectively optimised storage and offline navigation, also reported issues, particularly with Google Maps Go and other apps crashing while using them.

Although the Android Go program does not claim to be designed to be used with the same ease as traditional Android programs, its advertising as a vehicle of technology that is both affordable and performant has been challenged. You can’t have your pie and eat it, or so it seems.