Google Retiring Lightweight OS? – Gizbot News

Google has indicated that the Android 13 Go version is in active development and should arrive early next year. The company, however, has increased the minimum system requirements to support the smartphone operating system. This suggests that Google may be gradually using the relatively lightweight OS, or that the company is indirectly forcing manufacturers to add better hardware to their phones.

Google Android Go 13 inches closer to the original Android OS

Google maintains and develops a lightweight fork of the original Android smartphone operating system. Android Go Edition should not be resource hungry, and therefore should not require powerful and relatively expensive hardware.

Incidentally, Android Go has important back-end processes and functions integrated into the original Android operating system. Google tries to trim the iterations of Android Go by reducing the visual elements that are commonly called “eye candy”. Some of these customizations include app opening animations, transition effects, transparency, and more.

Interestingly, Google seems to be taking the opposite approach with the Android 13 Go edition. The company is adding a version of the “Material You” system. Although not as versatile as the standard version, this feature allows users to choose one of four color schemes depending on the wallpaper they are using. This feature was not available in Android 12 Go version.

Android 13 Go adds Google’s streamlined Google Play system update platform. As the name suggests, this is a backward process that keeps the devices updated. The system receives and applies security patches. Google says the system avoids full device updates and only pulls in new features.

Apart from the above mentioned functions, the Android 13 Go edition also gets a few features from the regular OS. However, these new additions may require additional resources, and that is what is happening.

Is Google Slowing Down Android G Edition?

Google has raised the minimum system requirements for Android 13 Go edition. The Android 12 Go edition system required devices to have at least 1 GB of RAM. The upcoming version requires at least 2GB of RAM. Incidentally, 2GB of RAM was always the minimum system requirement, but Google has now mentioned the same and added that devices need 16GB of storage.

Android 13 Go version requires more resources than before. So even 2GB RAM may not be enough. In other words, many older Android G phones may struggle with the new update even if they have 2GB of RAM.

There are not many devices in India with 2GB or less RAM. But to make sure devices work reliably, manufacturers are now required to include at least 3GB of RAM, or perhaps more.

Google may be slowly increasing the system requirements to make the OS redundant. This will allow the company to continue building the original Android OS and release Android Go in the future.