Zenfone Live L1: Asus joins Google’s Android Go platform

Asus is the latest smartphone company to join Google's Android Go platform which aims to provide fluid Android experience on low-end phones. Asus' new smartphone, Zenfone Live L1, has launched in Indonesia and is expected to go on sale from May 17 with a price tag of around 1.5 million Indonesian Rupiah ( ₹7,200 approximately).

Asus Zenfone Live L1 comes in two variants of 1GB RAM and 2GB RAM with 16GB of expandable storage. The 1GB RAM model runs Android Go OS while the 2GB RAM variant runs Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box, Gadgetren reported.

Asus Zenfone Live L1 specifications

Asus Zenfone Live L1 smartphone features a 5.5-inch HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Under the hood of the smartphone runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 425 quad-core processor. The smartphone also comes with a microSD card slot for further storage expansion up to 2TB.

In the photography department, Asus Zenfone Live L1 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 5-megapixel front camera. The smartphone is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery. Its connectivity options include dual-SIM support, 4G LTE, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The smartphone comes with 'Face Unlock' for unlocking it, but lacks a fingerprint sensor. The same functionality is available on the Oppo A83 smartphone.

Google's Android Go

Google launched its Android Go platform based on Android 8.1 Oreo OS. Android Go is optimised for entry-level smartphones with less than 1GB of RAM. Google aims to offers a lightweight Android experience for smartphones with less storage and RAM. The OS also comes with Android Go apps like YouTube Go, Google Maps Go, Google Assistant Go, and Google Go.

There are a quite a few Android Go smartphones launched globally with two units available in India. These include HMD Global's Nokia 1 priced at ₹5,499, and Lava Z50 which retails at ₹4,400. More smartphone companies are expected to launch Android Go-phones in the coming months.