Android 13 Go Edition adds Material You visuals, direct software updates

Google is finally applying Material You aesthetics to the Android 13 Go Edition for entry-level devices. It also brings some key features from the vanilla Android 13.

Android13 Go Edition new features

Android 13 Go Edition’s user interface gets a refresh throughout, like the notification panel, a new lock and home screen which are now closer to the look standard Android 13.

A key feature is the color schemes that can be set to match a wallpaper. When setting a wallpaper, users have four corresponding color schemes to choose from.

Discover tab, Notification Permissions, and App Language Preferences among others are to be included with the update—features derived from the vanilla Android 13.

Google Play System Updates

In addition to these new features, the update adopts ‘Google Play System Updates’ that ensures Go devices regularly receive important software updates outside of major Android releases.

“This will make the delivery of critical updates quick and simple without compromising storage availability on the device,” said Android Director and Product Manager Charmaine D’Silva in a press release.

“The result is a phone that stays up to date over time — and you don’t have to wait for the next release or a software push from your phone’s manufacturer to have the latest and greatest,” it further read.

According to Android Police, Google Play System Updates are designed “to bring updates to Google Play Services and system components that can be updated without a full new software build.”

Google says that there are now over 250 million devices empowered by Android Go, and in its next iteration, the focus are reliability, usability and customization.