Multiple Nokia phones with Android Go spotted on Wi-Fi Alliance

Nokia is working on multiple phones based on Google’s Android Go platform. Official names of these phones are not out yet, but a recent listing on Korea by Korea Testing Laboratory revealed TA-1318, TA-1320, TA-1308, TA-1312, TA-130 model numbers. Now, phones with the same model numbers have been certified by Wi-Fi Alliance. The latest certification indicates at the imminent launch of the new Nokia Android Go phones.

According to Nokiamob, there are eight phones in total which includes multiple versions of a phone. The new Nokia phones will run on Android Go version of Android Q, also known as Android 10. The phones come with support WiFi b/g/n connectivity and a 2.4 GHz WiFi frequency support. The website points out that Wi-Fi specifications are quite standard for entry-level phones.

As of now, there is little information on when the phones will hit the shelves. That said, Nokia’s multiple Android Go-based phones indicate a revamped strategy with a focus on the entry-level segment. It is worth noting that the entry-level segment, usually priced under ₹7,000, have not really gained OEMs’ attention despite a large userbase looking to upgrade from feature phones to smartphones. OEMs have also struggled to keep the prices of these devices low enough to smoothly transition a feature phone user to a smartphone. It’ll be interesting to see how Nokia can address this gap.

For Google, Android Go aims to bring the best of its mobile OS to low-end phones, usually with 2GB of RAM or even lesser. The optimised version of Android is said to deliver faster app load times, memory optimisation, a lighter version of Google’s key applications. It also supports Google Assistant and a smarter Camera Go application.