Android Stock, One, or Go: How to Choose the Right Android?

If I want to buy a smartphone running stock Android, I’ll face the problem of which version of “stock Android” to choose? There are three of them: Android Go, Android One, and stock Android. So, what’s the difference between all these flavors of Google OS? 

Each vendor have its own smartphone firmware based on Android OS. HTC has Sense, Huawei with EMUI, Xiaomi with MIUI, and OnePlus has Oxygen OS. User interface, special features, update speed, pre-installed apps… But what if I don’t like any of them? 

If so, Google has an option for you – stock Android. It’s a firmware which Google develops without a custom launcher or third-party apps. There are several versions of pure Android and it’s a matter of which to choose.

What are they? Let’s take a closer look.

Stock Android

Well, the stock Android experience is whatever Google ships on its own hardware. Nowadays these are the smartphones under the brand Pixel. Android on those smartphones looks exactly how Google wants it to be. 

What features does it have?

• Regular updates with fresh security patches for three years. Your Android phone will always be protected by Google for at least three years after release. Every month you’ll get a fresh security patch and you don’t need to worry about safety. If something goes wrong, Google fixes it as soon as possible.
• Simple and clean design. The interface appearance develops strictly in accordance with Material Design guidelines.
• There are no third-party apps. Only Google services and nothing more. You can be sure that no pre-installed app is draining your battery. 
• Better performance. The absence of extra apps lets your phone work exactly how it should. Stock Android devices usually show better performance, and they lag and freeze less.
• All features of the new OS version. New Android P has some new features, such as an adaptive battery, gesture navigation, new multitasking, and app actions. Stock Android users will test these features first. 

Devices running Stock Android 

Smartphones made by Google itself are a new trend. Today, these are the Pixel smartphones, Pixel/Pixel 2 and Pixel XL/Pixel 2 XL. And that’s it. True stock Android isn’t widespread. There’s a list of Android Beta devices that includes Nokia 7 Plus, Essential Phone, OnePlus 6, Oppo R15 Pro, Sony Xperia XZ2, Vivo X21UD, Vivo X21, and Xiaomi MiMix 2S. You can try out Android Beta on these smartphones. As you can see, though, they aren’t cheap. All of them are flagships. 

Android One

Android One is a comparatively new project announced in 2014 and aimed at the low-budget sector. Google distributes this version to emerging markets, such as India, China, Russia, and Brazil. Local vendors flash it on their smartphones, but Google takes the software updates upon itself.

What features does it have?

• Regular updates with fresh security patches for two years. Android One phones get updates straight from Google. Vendors may delay a firmware a little, but you’ll get the update much sooner than non-Android One phones.
• Simple and clean design. Again, like the stock version, Android One looks almost the same as Google phones, but with minor changes in the launcher.
• Few third-party apps. Vendors may change the stock camera app or add an app to get feedback. This is okay. These apps don’t slow your device.
• Better performance. Since Android One includes mostly mid- and low-budget phones, performance means a lot. In comparison with a non-Android One device, your smartphone would have a smoother interface and less lag.
• Some new features. New Android functions will be available to you, but not all of them, because Google wants you to buy the premium Pixel 2.

Devices running Android One

The Android One program is present in a wide range of devices from different vendors. The most successful of them is Xiaomi Mi A1. This Chinese smartphone has two successors, the Xiaomi Mi A2 and Mi A2 lite, which you can buy now. The full list of Android One devices is here. The most interesting ones are Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6, and Android One Moto X4. All Android One phones have the distinctive Android One label on the back.

Android Go

Android Go, the newest variation of Google’s OS, was announced in May 2017. This version is also focused on low-end devices, with 1 GB of memory or less. The key difference between this and Android One is that Google sends AOSP packages to vendors, who finalize the updates themselves. For example, Nokia wants to produce a smartphone with the Android Go program. It develops the hardware, asks Google to join this program, and Google then provides Nokia with the Android Go firmware. This is where Google’s responsibility for these smartphones ends. Afterwards, Nokia can adapt this firmware to its new smartphone and provide the support itself. 

What features does it have?

• Better performance for low-end devices. For the most part, all these phones are very cheap, so their hardware is quite weak. Google decided to change the situation and to prove that a cheap phone doesn’t always have to bring suffering to its owner.
• Chance for fast updates. Normally, cheap phones don’t get any updates at all. Android Go aims to resolve this issue.
• Adapted apps. Android Go has cut-down, pre-installed Google services, like Gmail Go, Google Go, Maps Go, etc., which are optimized for low-end smartphones, so they can cope with the basic functions of an Android phone.
• Data saver. In addition, this version uses a data-saving service that helps users in situations where mobile internet plans are slow and expensive to use.

Devices running Android Go

These devices are, most likely, what you’d buy for your child. They are cheap and simple, so if a kid breaks or loses it, it won’t be a problem to buy a new one. These are entry-level smartphones. Here’s a short list of Android Go devices announced at MWC 2018: Alcatel X1, Nokia 1, General Mobile GM 8, Micromax Bharat Go, Asus Zenfone Live L1, Huawei Y3, and ZTE Tempo Go.

Now you see

So, I hope now it’s one problem less. You only need to count your money, decide which brand you trust, and make a choice. But always keep in mind that pure Android is just one option and you can try it using a third-party launcher on your smartphone (Nova, Pixel Launcher, etc.). So maybe it’s worth trying a whole different experience to decide whether you want to buy OnePlus with a modified version of the stock OS or flash custom firmware on your old device. The choice is yours.