How Android 12 (Go Edition) Will Make Cheap Phones Faster

Google has announced Android 12 (Go Edition), a new update designed for cheaper phones that run on lower-grade processors. Here’s what you need to know…
Android 12 is now rolling out to some Android phones. But as we all know, being the biggest mobile operating system in the world means there is plenty of diversity when it comes to the type of phones that run Android.
You have flagships, of course, but the vast majority of Android phones in circulation are cheaper models that run on 2GB of RAM or less. Android 12, like Android 11, is a big, heavy piece of software and this can hamper performance on phones will small amounts of RAM.
Fortunately, Google has a novel solution for this in the form of Android 12 (Go Edition) which is a lightweight version of Android 12 designed specifically for phones that run on 2GB of RAM or less.
What is Android 12 (Go Edition)?
Google initially launched its Android Go Edition initiative back in 2017. Today, there are some 200 million Android Go Edition handsets in circulation – not bad for a few years’ work! Google has now confirmed a major update for Android Go Edition phones in the form of Android 12 (Go Edition).



Android 12 (Go Edition) is a lightweight, rejigged version of Android 12 designed specifically for lower-cost, low-spec Android phones – those with 2GB of RAM or less. Like the Facebook Lite app, Android 12 (Go Edition) is designed to run more efficiently on lower-cost phones, giving users faster, more responsive performance.
And this is great because the proper version of Android requires plenty of grunt under the hood to run it optimally.
Apps on your Android 12 (Go edition) device will launch up to 30% faster and with smoother animation — meaning they’ll open instantly, with no more waiting on a blank screen. We’ve also created the SplashScreen API so all developers can provide a consistently smooth experience when users launch their apps.
Google
Android 12 (Go Edition) Features
Like Android 12 itself, Google’s Android 12 (Go Edition) update is packed with loads of new features and abilities that are designed to make running and using your phone more useful.
For instance, you have the following new features to look forward to inside Android 12 (Go Edition):
- Longer Battery Life – Android 12 (Go Edition) will save hours of battery life by automatically hibernating apps that haven’t been used in a while. This means you can use the phone however you like and not have to worry about multiple, open applications draining your battery in the background.
- Enhanced Security – Like Android 12, Android 12 (Go Edition) will feature Google’s new privacy dashboard, so you can see exactly what applications on your phone are doing and what areas of your phone they are accessing.
- New Ways To Interact With Content – Android 12 (Go Edition) features loads of new ways to interact with web content. For instance, if you go your recent apps screen, you’ll see options for listening to a news article or blog post you’re looking at as well as translation options.
- Easier App Sharing Abilities – With Android 12 (Go edition), you’ll be able to save data by sharing apps directly with nearby devices using Nearby Share and Google Play.
- Enhanced Privacy Control – Within Android 12 (Go Edition)’s new privacy dashboard, you will be able to prohibit apps from using and monitoring your location. For instance, you can switch from accurate to approximate in order to keep your location data more vague.
Android 12 (Go Edition) Release Date
When will Android 12 (Go Edition) be available? The new platform is now official, following Google’s announcement. But Android 12 (Go Edition) itself will not be available for download until 2022 – sadly there’s no specific date or time frame either. Finger’s crossed it lands in early 2022.