Case Study: Android Go - Next Billion Users Plan

Owned by Marco Morales
Last updated: Apr 26, 2023
3 min read

The following page explores the Android Go - Next Billion Users Plan as a case study for global access mobile strategy.

TL;DR:

Global mobile access appears at time to result in specialized ‘lite’ versions of applications, but larger technology companies seem to back off these efforts often after a few years, citing the improvements to their full applications. DRM limitations have seemingly hampered interesting offline download and sharing functionality, but a general lesson to learn here for Open edX is a relentless focus on performance optimization and where possibly opting for cached offline views for content over web views not optimized for mobile consumption.

Case Study: Google / Android / Youtube Go

Google’s “Next Billion Users” plan is a strategy to expand internet access and adoption in emerging markets. The plan includes developing products and services that are designed specifically for users in these markets, such as low-cost Android smartphones and apps that work well in low-bandwidth environments.

One of the key initiatives under this plan is Android Go, which is a lightweight version of the Android operating system that is designed to run on low-end devices with limited processing power and storage. Android Go comes with a suite of optimized apps that work well in low-bandwidth environments, including Google Go, YouTube Go, and Maps Go.

Google Go is a lightweight version of the Google search app that is designed to work well in low-bandwidth environments. It is optimized to take up less storage space and use less data than the regular Google app. A "read-out-loud" feature that can read web pages aloud in a natural-sounding voice, making it a useful tool for people with visual impairments or low literacy levels. Overall, Google Go is designed to make it easier for people in emerging markets to access information and use the internet, even in areas with poor internet connectivity.

YouTube Go was a mobile app designed for low-bandwidth environments that allowed users to download and watch YouTube videos offline. The application was discontinued in late 2022, with Google citing improvements to the main Youtube application for emerging markets. Notably, however the Youtube app doesn’t allow for offline video downloading or peer sharing of videos with others nearby, arguably the most compelling + differentiated part of the low bandwidth application.

Key differences between YouTube Go (now deprecated) and the main YouTube app include:

  • Offline video downloading: YouTube Go allowed users to download videos and watch them offline, which is not a feature of the main YouTube app.

  • Sharing videos offline: YouTube Go allowed users to share downloaded videos with others nearby, even if they didn’t have an internet connection. The main YouTube app does not have this feature.

  • Data-saving features: YouTube Go allowed users to choose the quality of the video they want to download, which can help conserve data usage. It also provides a preview of the video before downloading, so users can decide if they want to download it or not.

  • Limited functionality: Because it was designed for low-bandwidth environments, YouTube Go did not support live streaming or some of the more advanced features of the main app.

Maps Go is a lightweight version of the Google Maps app that is designed to work well in low-bandwidth environments. It is optimized to take up less storage space and use less data than the regular Google Maps app. However, unlike the regular Google Maps app, Maps Go does not offer real-time traffic updates or turn-by-turn navigation.

 

References

https://nextbillionusers.google/

https://nextbillionusers.google/ - Accessibility Toolkit

https://design.google/library/ux-next-billion-users/