ANDROID: STOCK VS ONE VS GO, Find the right Android edition for your organization.
Android is an omnipresent mobile Operating System, owned by google, powering more than 2 billion mobile phones worldwide. This accounts for about 40% of all the devices, and it is high time we say “hail Android!”. It had about 10 major updates and 17 versions to date and still, they have added in some extra editions. Stock Android, Android one and Android Go are the best examples. Google has already given us the desserts, now a few more choices, wow!
The story of Android before all these seasoning was quite frankly, simple. The mobile manufactures take Android source code from Google’s Android Open Source Program (AOSP) and build their customised Android powered OS on this framework. They add their own apps, device drivers, a compactable UI and their custom features and some bloatware to this chassis making it a better looking but a bit bulkier one. This may reduce the resource availability, due to high storage or RAM usage by the pre-installed apps and bloatware, which in turn affect the performance. Higher these customisations, larger the time taken by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to release the Google’s Android updates with their alterations thus leading to update delays.
Android one is a near Stock version of Android. It was released with the aim of exploring new market for Android in developing countries by offering them an excellent smart phone experience at a convenient price. This then evolved into something more, Android Go is now released with the aim of continuing what Google planned with Android One.
STOCK ANDROID
Stock Android is how Google want Android to be. It is nothing but the untouched version (vanilla version) of Android from AOSP. Google install this directly into their smartphones, so updates can be rolled out to these devices with no delays. Stock Android is limited to the features and apps developed by Google and does not include the OEMs customisations and bloatware, thus freeing up a lot of storage and RAM. Since there is less drama in the background, Stock Android can dedicate its available resources to whatever that is currently running, which makes it is faster. It is preferred mostly by the tech enthusiasts as it is simple and easier and customisable. Google’s Nexus (discontinued in 2015), Pixel and many other smart phones run on Stock edition of Android.
If Stock Android is so great, then why go for other editions of Android?
As always, economy is the villain, Stock Android is designed for high end smartphones and is constricted to the features developed by Google, but many prefer it otherwise. But with the customisations, arises hitches like update delays and bloatware. Google developed solutions to outweigh these, which are Android One and Android Go.
ANDROID ONE
Google launched the Android one program in 2014 with an aim of releasing budget smart phones into emerging markets like India and other Asian countries. It was designed for entry level smartphones with minimum hardware capabilities, but soon evolved to include mid-range and high-end smartphones.
Google provides Android One as a service above AOSP to lend a hand those OEMs who build quality hardware but lacks in their software and OS. Google mandates the hardware requirements for Android One so that their OS doesn’t have to be altered according to device specs. This completely hampers OEMs sovereignty in building customised devices that set them apart in the market. But they can install some of their signature apps, for example, camera and Nokia support app on Nokia handsets. OEMs have to pay Google for providing them Android One OS and services like 2 years of software updates and 3 years of monthly security patches and upgrades.
Android One is the Stock Android for non-Google hardware users. Unlike custom Android, Android One have faster updates. Better battery performance, Google play protect, optimised Google Assistant, minimal bloatware, artificial intelligence from Google, more free storage space and optimised RAM are some of its the features.
ANDROID GO
You already have Android One then why go for Android Go? Since Android One has deviated from the plan, Android Go is now destined in bringing budget phones to the third world markets. It was introduced in 2017 in a limited number of low-end smartphones. The first Android Go edition was a trimmed down version of custom Android 8.1 Oreo. Now we also have a light-weight version of Android 9, Android 9 Pie Go.
Android Go can be deployed in devices with RAM greater than 0.5 GB and storage as low as 8 GB. Google ships the Android Go OS to the OEMs which they modify according to their hardware specifications. The Android Go smartphones have minimum bloatware installed and have specially designed “Go apps”, a “Play Store Go” which suggests the best suited apps to for the device. It has a build in data manager and has limited RAM consumption.
The optimised Go apps are Progressive Web apps in reality, this frees up about 50% of the storage space occupied by the apps in the device. App navigation is now 15% faster than normal Android. It also has features like Google play protect, optimised Google Assistant etc.
What is Android Enterprise Recommended (AER)?
The AER is the Google recommended set of devices, EMMs, carriers and MSPs that is best suited for the enterprise functions. Google has specified a complete set of requirements against which each device must be thoroughly vetted. The device that qualifies all these assessments will be certified and badged by Google as an AER device. The validation is done per device and not per OEM, so that the OEMs cannot submit one device that is AER compatible, and badge that certificate on other devices which are not. For Example, if a phone brand has a handset which is AER certified, their other phones will have to go through the same verification procedures for AER badge.
Stock Android is not the finest choice for device management since Google only offers limited APIs that aids EMMs in managing the device. In present devices, management is mainly possible through the APIs included by the OEMs. So, it is safe to assume that a mobile device manufactured and distributed by Google will have limited capability for Enterprise Device Management. But still many of the Stock Android devices have AER approval badge.
Android One is the best suited edition for Android Enterprise. It has got greater performance, a dedicated hardware with Google charted stipulations, faster updates for 2–3 years directly from Google and all its feature’s overlays with the AER specs. Many of the Android One device like Nokia has made it to the AER list.
Android Go edition is the best possible alternative to a dedicated enterprise device with minimum specs and capabilities. Since most of the AER requirements released by Google are non-achievable for the typical low-end devices, the device’s AER compatibility is up to the OEMs. For example, an AER device must have a minimum of 32 GB storage and 2GB RAM, but an Android Go can have memory as low as 0.5 GB and storage of 8 GB. So, for a device to be AER compatible, the manufacturer should follow the AER specifications on top of Android Go specifications.
A little take away
Android One is the best fitted and most recommended devices for enterprise use. Entry-level devices from Android Go is also a viable option for small and medium business owners. Stock Android is a bit costlier option when compared to other alternatives. The prolonged reign of Android might contribute more towards dedicated Enterprise Friendly devices.
Google has now taken the liberty of validating devices’ enterprise worthiness, thus reducing the corporate managers burden in selecting the best device that aligns with their expectations and potential budget. Through more integrations, AER might outweigh other device management platforms and earn the complete monopoly over the Enterprise Device Management. Samsung and Apple should soon come with a millennial solution to counter this Google-Android surge or else it is going to be pretty damn difficult to deal with!
Stock or One or Go, if you need help in managing your Android device (COPE or BYOD), do not hesitate to give Hexnode a call, we are well equipped to manage your machine.
