We already know that buying an Android smartphone does not mean that we will be able to update the Android version infinitely. Sometimes it is the manufacturer itself who decides to cut support for certain models from a few years ago, depriving them of the new version of the operating system, while in others it is Google itself who establishes a cut with certain minimum hardware requirements to meet if you want to have the newest version.
One of those outages is going to coincide with the release of Android 13 , will your smartphone make it through the outage?
At least 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage
Unsurprisingly, Google recently updated the minimum requirements for GMS (Google Mobile Services) smartphones running Android 13. According to Android Enterprise expert Jason Bayton , OEMs can no longer preload GMS on newer devices with less than 2 GB of RAM .
mishaal rahman@MishaalRahmanSmall bit of news here: Google is upping the minimum hardware requirements that handheld devices must meet in order to be able to bundle GMS.Now, all handheld devices launching with Android 13+ must have at least 2GB of RAM and 16GB of flash storage in order to preload GMS. https://t.co/fDppuhlfoW
September 09, 2022 • 20:03111
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Google Mobile Services (GMS) is a collection of Google applications and APIs that help improve device functionality. These apps integrate seamlessly so your device delivers a great user experience right out of the box. These include Google Search, Chrome, YouTube, Google Play Store, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Duo, etc.
In addition, Google also wants all new Android Go devices, a lightning-fast operating system precisely designed for smartphones with less than 2GB of RAM, to have at least 16GB of storage . The rule also applies to devices already on the market that don’t meet these requirements, as they won’t receive the Android 13 update otherwise.
Manufacturers will still be able to integrate GMS on Android 12 devices with less than 2GB of RAM. Therefore, it could still be some time before smartphones with inferior features finally leave the market.
Other previous cuts and Android Go as an alternative
This is not the first time that Google has marked a cutoff hardware with the equipment that supports its mobile operating system. In the past 2020, coinciding with the launch of Android 11, the technological giant established that devices with less than 512 MB of RAM memory would be excluded from the Google Mobile Services preload.
That’s when it was established that phones with 2 GB of RAM or less will have to use Android Go instead of the standard version, making the distinction between entry-level devices and higher. In Android Go, Google apps are built from scratch , so they use less space and save more data. Everything is faster, more useful and easier to use than in the main versions of Android, without missing features such as GMS content, Google Lens or Google Assistant.
This lighter version of Android will be the one that could be used by cheaper devices that cannot meet the RAM and storage objectives that Google requires in order to have the option to update to Android 13.