Google has announced a new version of Android at Google I/O 2017. However, unlike the current (or main) version of Android, this one is not necessarily designed to showcase the best Android has to offer. This is Android Go and is designed with lesser-powered Android smartphones in mind. Typically speaking, smartphones which make use of a RAM level equal to or less than 1GB.
While this sounds a lot like Android One, it does seem as though Android Go is different. While the two initiatives work along the same basis, they are designed to cater to different needs. For one thing, it seems Andorid Go will be available in a lot more places, compared to Android One. Secondly, the ecosystem around Android Go seems as though it will be a lot wider and broader, with even the Google Play Store highlighting apps that will work better on Android Go devices. Which seems to be one of the central focuses in play here. As more expensive handsets are designed to make use of more resource-draining apps, which in turn fuels apps to become more resource-draining in the future. While that cycle continues to fuel the evolution of Android, this can prove problematic for smartphones that do not run at the same level as high-end smartphones. With apps and so on draining those phones even more than they should be. In short, they are not ideal app options for less-demanding and inexpensive Android smartphones.
Which seems to be exactly the ethos behind Android Go. Not only will the platform highlight apps, but the entire platform will be designed with these ultra-budget handsets in mind. Designed almost from the ground-up to ensure that the software experience is keenly matched to the hardware being used to access the software. What is worth noting though, is that Android Go is not a backwards-thinking platform, in fact, it is very much forward-thinking, as it will make use of the latest version of Android. Which according to Google, Android Go will first become available with Android O. Again according to Google, Android Go will start shipping on devices in early 2018.