Google has reportedly partnered with Indian manufacturers to launch phones powered by Android Oreo (Go Edition), and Micromax may launch its device around Republic Day
It seems like we’ll see smartphones with Android Oreo (Go Edition) in India soon. Factor Daily reports that Google has partnered with Indian phone vendors like Micromax, Intex, Karbonn to launch entry-level smartphone powered by the lightweight version of Android Oreo. Sources told the website that Micromax may be the first among the vendors, and the launch “might be on Republic Day or around it” at around Rs 2,000.
Other manufacturers are expected to launch the devices in the following weeks. An unnamed official from Google stated, “We expect Android Oreo (Go edition) devices to launch in early 2018.” The official also added, “As more users come online for the first time, the number of entry-level Android devices available has been rising quickly, and is expected to make up a much larger percentage of all smartphone sales going forward. Given the acceleration, we thought it is time to take our investment to the next level.”
However, Indian manufacturers may not be the only ones to launch devices powered by Android Oreo (Go Edition). A few days ago, it was reported that HMD Global is working on a device called the Nokia 1, which would be powered by the OS. A launch date for the phone is not yet known, but it is expected to be launched in the first half of 2018, possibly in March.
To recall, the Go program was announced at Google’s I/O conference last year. This version of Android is specifically designed for entry-level smartphones with less than 1GB RAM. Besides this, the phones will also use special ‘Go’ versions of apps such as Google Maps Go, YouTube Go, Assistant Go and so forth, which will use less data as compared to their standard versions. Further, there will also be a separate Play Store for these devices which will highlight apps that have been specifically made for smartphones running Android Go.
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