Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has launched a much simpler version of its Android software in India, hoping that this move will earn it brownie points with the millions of users it is looking to target.
This Android software, called the Android Oreo Go operating system, has been toned down so that it can work on entry-level smartphones with memory as low as 512 megabytes. Google is anticipating that devices running the new operating system will be arriving in stores in the next few months.
This type of system is aimed at the smartphone user who wants a cheap device but still wants a smooth user experience.
Shobhit Srivastava, an analyst at the technology researcher Counterpoint, said, “The new lighter operating system, if it works well, will likely attract first-time smartphone buyers to devices retailing in the $30 to $75 range.” Srivastava also noted that this system would allow Google to cross-sell some of its other services at the same time, such as its local payments application Tez.
Any phone that uses the Android Oreo Go operating system will have access to a version of the Google Play app which highlights the apps that work best on low-memory smartphones.
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