Google unveils Android 13 Go edition, with extra features that could disqualify some devices

Until now, the main reason for selecting Android Go firmware over the main Android edition was the lack of any features that could be considered “bloatware”. Android 13 (Go edition) comes with many of the “features” expected from official Android firmware, with Google promising “reliability, ease of use and customization”. But what about the basic justification for Android Go firmware, namely that it will work on any phone model, no matter how “stingy” the manufacturer is with hardware features?

Apparently, Google has concluded that new generations of low-cost phones are powerful enough to run Android GO with some non-essential but profitable features, such as the Discovery page accessible from the home screen, where you can find content selected by Google Search algorithms. Take away that this isn’t the only “improvement”, Google has also included the Material You UI theme in the scheme, albeit in a less customizable form.

So, in the unlikely event that your cheaply bought phone gets updated to Android 13 Go, you’ll discover the “Material You” concept, the new UI style allowing you to automatically customize the color palette in which Android menus are rendered, according to the wallpaper image set on your home-screen. And if that’s not enough, you can choose from four colour schemes, customised to your wallpaper image. This will make your phone more distinctive, even if it’s as plain as any other Android Go smartphone you buy on sale.

Beyond the aesthetic optimizations and the added unwanted Home Screen, Android 13 Go also brings some real new features, such as permissions to block notifications you’re not interested in, settings for individual choice of language to use with various Android apps, and more, borrowed from the standard Android 13 firmware.

According to Google, the first Android 13 Go Edition phones will be available from the first part of 2023.