Hot on the heels of Android 11 comes Android 11 (Go Edition), which targets the unique needs of entry-level devices.

“We first introduced Android (Go edition) in 2018 to provide a high-quality smartphone experience for entry-level device owners around the world,” Google vice president Sagar Kamdar explains. “Since then, Android (Go edition) has brought improved speed, reliability, and security to over 100 million entry-level devices through apps and features specifically built to address local needs.”

Here’s what’s new in Android 11 (Go edition).

Performance. Google claims that apps launch 20 percent faster in Android 11 (Go edition) than they did on Android 10 (Go edition).

Conversations in the notification shade. As with the big-boy Android 11, Go edition shows all conversations in a dedicated space in the notification shade so that you can see, respond to, and manage conversations in one place.

Privacy and security. Android 11 (Go edition) comes with the same new privacy enhancements that Google includes in Android 11, including one-time permissions and the “auto-reset” of permissions for apps you’ve not used in a while.

Gesture-based navigation. I’m surprised this wasn’t already an option, but Android 11 (Go edition) finally picks up Android’s great gesture-based navigation capabilities.

And thanks to the progression of time, Android Go devices will have access to more RAM, with new devices arriving next month that support 2 GB.

“With the expansion to 2 GB, apps launch up to 20 percent faster, and with an additional 270 MB of additional free memory, people can now run three to four more apps in the background,” Kamdar says. “Android (Go edition) on 2 GB devices also comes with up to 900 MB of additional free storage space—enough to take up to 300 more selfies and download an entire movie.”

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