Today, it’s still possible to find Android phones with 1GB of RAM that include Android Go, but that won’t happen for a long time. Google has increased the minimum requirements: with less than 2 GB of RAM, there will be no Google applicationsfrom Android 13.
In other words, Google isn’t going to certify more phones with Android 13 that have less than 2GB of RAM, so they won’t be able to launch with Google apps. It will also not be possible for a mobile with less than 2 GB of RAM upgraded to Android 13.
2 GB RAM minimum
Google has updated the minimum hardware requirements it requires from manufacturers so they can include Google apps and services: they must have at least 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. This new requirement comes into play from Android 13, so we can still see mobiles with less RAM that are still launched with Android 12.
Now those mobiles with 1GB RAM or less than 16GB storage that launch with Android 12 they won’t be able to update to Android 13. This, to tell the truth, won’t make much of a difference as these super low-end phones rarely get updates.
The most curious thing about this is that these requirements also apply to Android Go, increasing somewhat drastically. Android 10 GB supported mobiles with 512 GB of RAM, but Android 11 GB required more than 512 GB. Android 12 GB did not expand the requirements, but introduced the strong recommendation to start from 2 GB of RAM, as noted Jason Bayton. With Android 13 it’s not a recommendation, it’s an obligation.
That is to say, we will not see any mobile with Android 13, Go or normal, with less than 2 GB of RAM and also Android Go phones must have at least 16 GB of storage. For all this, Google hasn’t updated its Android Go website for years and continues to call it the operating system “for mobiles with less than 2 GB of RAM”.
Through | Mishaal Rahman
