Nokia 1 quick review: Can be a Go-to Android phone for first-time users

Let's get one thing straight. The Nokia 1, from HMD Global, isn't a phone designed for power users. It isn't a phone designed for those who like to show off their phones either. The Nokia 1, from HMD, is a phone designed for first-time users, which means that, it's all about the bare necessities. Which is what all first-time users, especially in India, would want. No more, no less. It's especially geared towards emerging markets like India in fact, where, more and more people are now going -- or looking to go -- online, and therefore require a smartphone that would make it all possible. Although there's been a sudden influx of 4G-capable feature phones -- with HMD itself re-launching the Nokia 8110 with 4G, VoLTE and Wi-Fi -- in the market as well, nothing comes close to an actual smartphone, if you're looking for a wider and more seamless internet connectivity. That is where smartphones like the Nokia 1 come in.

The Nokia 1 is more than just another entry-level 4G smartphone though. It's part of a much broader and a more long-term plan, one that involves Google and its much ambitious next billion project, to make entry-level smartphones exciting again. Google's big bet to connect the next billion is called Android Oreo Go Edition, a special configuration of Android, designed from scratch, for entry-level devices. Although its first attempt to connect the next billion through a wave of low-cost, quality mobile phones based around the Android ecosystem -- aka Android One -- failed to set the cash counters ringing, Google believes, there's still hope. Only about half of the world's 7.6 billion people are online, according to Google, and it can't expect the rest of the lot -- especially in markets like India -- to look up to a high-end Pixel (or an iPhone) to get on-board. It's still low-cost, quality mobile phones that they're more likely to invest in, at least, during the initial run.

Android Go, to recall, was first announced at Google I/O 2017, as a special configuration of Android Oreo (Android 8.1 and onwards) for entry-level handsets with less than 1GB of RAM. The aim, much like it is in the case of Android One devices, is to offer high-quality handsets with high-quality software at rock-bottom prices. Android One demands handsets to ship with 1GB and more of RAM, but Android Go handsets will be able to support RAM as low as 512MB. The Nokia 1 belongs to the first wave of devices to come packed with Android Go, although it won't likely be the first commercially available phone with Android Go. Android Go phones from Lava and Micromax are set to be made available for buying from late March, while HMD is looking at an early April release date for the Nokia 1. We'll of course have to wait and watch out on that one, but, it's nice to know buyers will have a number of options to choose from in the days to come.

Moving on, Google notes that although Android Oreo Go Edition will be a scaled down version of Android you find in phones like the high-end Pixel, it still wouldn't compromise much on functionality. In fact, Google is touting almost the same level of functionality, only scaled down furthermore to fit entry-level handsets with less than 1GB of RAM. The Nokia 1, for your reference, will ship with 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM, more than what, the doctor has ordered for an Android Go device.

Although Google didn't have to build Android One-specific apps, Google Go required the company to do more than just scale down the operating system. This means that although Android One devices run a more or less familiar version of Android with a more or less familiar version of Google apps, Android Go may be considered as a whole new ball-game. This is because, unlike Android One, Android Go is an operating system for devices with limited memory, storage, CPU horsepower, and connectivity. Also, because a lot of Android Go devices will be geared towards developing markets like India -- where English isn't necessarily the go-to language -- the software needs to be bilingual, and ship with apps that support bilingualism.

Google has re-worked on almost its entire suit of apps, including Google Assistant, Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail and more, for Android Go even as more and more developers are lending their support for the platform. Take YouTube Go for instance. YouTube Go, which is essentially a toned-down version of the original YouTube app, is designed specifically to work on slow internet. The YouTube Go app broadly focuses on four aspects: being offline-first, offering search relatability, cutting internet usage costs and video sharing. The app seems to have been reworked from scratch and uses a different home screen and a new logo. It has a simple interface showing a total of ten videos by default (with a search more option below), to make sure users are not overwhelmed, to begin with.

Google has also rolled out a new files app called Files Go and a new search app called Google Go that although have been designed for Android Go devices will also be available for standard Android devices from the Play Store. Apps like Gboard and Chrome, meanwhile, didn't require a Go-specific version.