Everything Wrong with Android Go

Android Go is made for devices with 512MB to 1GB of RAM. Forget 512MB; but is 1GB RAM enough in this decade? That's the big question. And my answer is a big NO. The basic reason is that 1GB is just not enough, be it Normal Android or Android Go. I have a Redmi Go which I am using as a daily driver and I have even used Nokia 1 which is another Android Go Phone. Android Go sounds like a killer but is a huge disappointment.

Android Go was launched on 5th December 2017, with its first release being Android 8.1 (Go Edition). It was aimed at emerging markets like India and super cheap phones. But I think that Android Go phones touched the price where they were competing with rivals that had better specs with full version Android. 

I am using a Redmi Go on which, 255MB RAM (29%) is free, It may sound enough for daily use but that's not true in practical life. I have attached a screenshot of my Redmi Go.

And I can prove it. I have played Free Fire on both phones. It is a 500 MB game and is supposed to run fine on lower-end phones. In Nokia 1, the phone overheated and reached the temperature warning. If it didn't, it was unplayable. In Redmi Go, it is playable until it heats up and then the game crashes. Same is the case with PUBG Lite and Hopeless Land.

Now you might say that I played a too heavy game but this lag issue is present with Carrom Disc Pool (27MB), Helix Jump (41MB), Mini Militia (34MB) and Subway Surfers (94MB). The gameplay of Real Cricket Go (36MB) was smooth though. But 8 Ball Pool failed to run.

And another weird thing is that whenever I just turn on the internet while listening to songs on Prime Music, the song lags and if I go for searching on Google Go, Prime Music sometimes crashes. Else the playback is too laggy. That's too much.

So, enough of criticism. Now let's talk about the goodies. Android Go apps used to be the worst but Google is trying their best not to increase app sizes but to add the features of the full app. I don't have any complaints regarding the apps. The system also has all the essential features. The daily performance is nice. There are some UI lags and freezes but that's fine. 

The basic point is that Android Go improves UI performance but does no improvement in CPU and GPU performance which is not possible at all. Calling, messaging, browsing and using WhatsApp is fine. But who has that light use? 

Maybe it is enough for people who just shifted to Android phones but when you are getting Full Version Android phones with better specs for almost the same price, why would a person consider Android Go devices. 

So who is at blame? Google or Smartphone Manufacturers. I think it's mostly the companies. They make phones with poor specs and try to advertise it with the name of Android Go. People believe that Android Go would create a huge difference but it won't. 

So is there any scope of revival? I would say yes. If companies make Android Go Phones with better specs like 2GB RAM and decent chips, Android Go might become a huge success. That's what I can say. But till then, things will remain the same.

Goodbye for now.