What you need to know
- Android 12 (Go edition) is now official.
- Google's latest Go edition promises a faster, smarter, and more "privacy-friendly" experience than previous versions.
- Along with Android 12 (Go edition), Google has also announced that there are now over 200 million people running Android (Go edition) on their phones.
Nearly two months after the release of Android 12, Google has finally announced the toned-down version of its mobile OS designed for entry-level devices. Android 12 (Go edition) brings a ton of upgrades to affordable Android devices — including improved features for multilingual users and privacy enhancements.
The latest Go Edition promises to deliver a smoother and faster experience than ever before. Google claims apps on devices running Android 12 (Go edition) will launch up to 30% faster compared to the best Android Go phones on the market today, which means users won't have to wait on a blank screen when loading apps.
To ensure longer battery life, Android 12 (Go edition) will automatically hibernate all apps that haven't been used for extended periods. The Files Go app has also received an update and will now let users recover files within 30 days.
Along with faster performance and battery life improvements, Android 12 (Go edition) introduces several new intelligent features aimed at enhancing the user experience. For instance, when navigating to the recent apps screen, users will be shown options to translate the on-screen content into their language or listen to the news.
Another nifty Android 12 (Go edition) feature is the ability to share apps directly with Android devices nearby using Nearby Share and Google Play, allowing users to save data. Device sharing is also easier than ever on Android 12 (Go edition). Google has made profiles available directly on the lock screen, greatly simplifying the guest user experience.
Google is also giving users more control over their privacy with a new privacy dashboard, which will give them a snapshot of the apps that are accessing sensitive data.
There's also a new privacy indicator on the status bar that will notify users whenever an app accesses their phone's microphone or camera. With approximate location permissions, users can limit apps to see only their approximate location.
Google says the first Android 12 (Go edition) devices will launch early next year.
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