Android 12 (Go edition) will be released in 2022, with improved privacy controls and battery life, as well as new features

Google has announced Android 12 (Go edition). According to the company, the lightweight operating system (OS) will be available in affordable entry-level smartphones in 2022.

The news comes just two months after Google released Android 12 for its Pixel smartphone lineup.

Google claims that over 200 million people are actively using the lightweight Android (Go edition) OS on their phones four years after it was released. As part of the next version of Android Go, which will be released next year, the company promises faster app launches, improved privacy, longer battery life, new translation features, and app and device sharing.

Google claims that with Android 12 Go, entry-level smartphones will be able to open apps faster, with app launch times reduced by up to 30%. When you launch an app, the SplashScreen API, which displays an interstitial screen with the app’s icon, will also be available in Android 12. (Go edition). The API enables the interface of an app to load in the background before it is displayed to the user.

Affordable smartphones running Android Go will have better battery life and storage next year, as the operating system will hibernate unused apps. According to Google, the Files Go app, which is included on all Android Go handsets, will allow users to restore deleted files for up to 30 days. Nearby Share and Google Play will enable users to quickly share apps with one another while saving data.

Android 12 introduced significant privacy enhancements, such as the ability to monitor when apps access your device and information. Google has added the same Privacy Dashboard to Android 12 (Go edition), allowing you to see a timeline of when and which apps are accessing your location, camera, microphone, and other sensitive data that is protected by permissions. The new privacy indicators introduced this year will also notify Android 12 (Go edition) users of apps that are actively using their smartphone’s camera and microphone.

Google claims that the upcoming version of Android Go will also include improvements to the system interface, such as a quick user profile switching option on the lock screen. Meanwhile, according to the company, the recent apps screen (or overview) will get two new buttons that will allow users to translate or ‘listen’ to any on-screen content, such as the news.