Google says Android Go, Android One phones to be launched at MWC 2018

Ahead of MWC 2018, Google has announced that the first set of smartphones to run Android Oreo (Go edition) will be unveiled at the tech trade show that officially kicks off on February 26. Without naming any names, the search giant said that some of the Android Go phones will cost less than $50 (approx Rs 3,200). This pricing has usually been associated with feature phones, but with Android Oreo (Go edition), we are likely to see a brand new pricing for entry-level smartphones that Google hopes will attract the next billion users. In addition to this, you can also expect some new Android One smartphones as well at MWC 2018.

Last year, Google announced Android Oreo (Go edition) an operating system designed for entry-level devices. It is meant for smartphones with 1GB of RAM or lower as the operating system features a re-worked set of apps such as Google Go, YouTube Go and Gmail Go, to name a few, that are stripped down to work efficiently on phones with low memory and storage space. These phones will also come with a version of Google Assistant that will allow people to send messages, make calls, set alarms, and more.

Google’s announcement indirectly adds more fuel to rumours that the Nokia 1 will be running Android Oreo (Go edition). HMD Global is planning to unveil a slew of smartphones that include the Nokia 1, Nokia 4, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Pro among others. At the lower end of the spectrum will be the Nokia 1, which is expected to be an Android Go smartphone, though nothing has been confirmed as yet. Renders of the pebble-shaped Nokia 1 surfaced a few days ago giving us a good look at what the entry-level handset will look like.

As per the rumours so far, the Nokia 1 will come with absolutely basic hardware specs that includes 1GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card and a low-end processor (either the Snapdragon 212 or an entry-level MediaTek chipset). All of this will be sufficient to run Android Oreo (Go edition) and will give the smartphone a leg up compared to current entry-level handsets. “Starting next week, you’ll see the first set of Android Oreo (Go edition) phones, and soon after they’ll be available for you to purchase,” Google said.

ALSO READ: Nokia 8 Pro, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 9 and more: What to expect from Nokia at MWC 2018

In Google’s blog post, the company also added that we will see some announcements about new Android One smartphones as well. To recall, the last popular Android One smartphone was the Xiaomi Mi A1. Android One smartphones typically provide stock Android experience with fast access to latest Android OS updates for two years. Once again, we know that one of the Android One smartphones to be unveiled at MWC 2018 will be the Nokia 7 Plus, which was recently confirmed by tipster Evan Blass. As to how the Nokia 7 Plus will differ to other Nokia handset which already offer stock Android will remain to be seen. Well have more information regarding the first set of Android Go phones and more Android One smartphones at MWC 2018, so do follow this space for all the latest updates.