Android 11 will be released later this year, providing new and improved features compared to Android 10, but there are ongoing speculations that Android 11 will be released with a little limitation.
Low-end devices won't be able to get Google apps, including Google Play Store.
Android 11's Alleged Limitations
According to a report by TechRadar, XDA Developers has acquired a leaked copy of Google's "Android 11 Go Edition Device Configuration Guide," which suggests that all the devices that are launched with Android 11 with only 2GB RAM or less will be using Android Go instead.
Based on the report, the Android Go is a lighter version of Android 11, which should help cheaper and lower-end smartphones run stripped-back versions of the Android core apps.
Android Go has existed in the past, but it was only optional.
However, this time, low-end devices with 2GB RAM or less must use Android Go, but that would only be the case if the leak is accurate.
Even devices that would otherwise run entirely on Android 10 must also use Android Go if the specs are low and would have a hard time running a full-blown Android 10 operating system, making it impossible for manufacturers to get around this new requirement except if they opt for a much older Android version.
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Exception to the New Rule
But there is an exception--devices that have already launched.
If a device has already been launched with Android 10, it wouldn't have to run on Android Go unless you want to update it to Android 11 when it releases later this year, meaning that all low-end devices will soon have to run on Android Go.
As of writing, Google hasn't officially announced the news, so anything could change in the coming months prior to Android 11's launch.
Moreover, the leak has apparently suggested that Google is dropping the Google Mobile Services support for smartphones with 512MB RAM or less when Android 11 releases, meaning they won't have access to Google Play Store and other Google apps.
This will apparently apply to current and new devices that are yet to be released.
Nevertheless, there aren't really a ton of 512MB RAM devices lately, so it shouldn't be that much of a big deal, and if the leak is indeed real, manufacturers will most likely stop creating devices with such low specs.
When Will Android 11 Launch?
Then again, take the news with a pinch of salt as the leak may turn out to be false, and Google has changed their mind since the leaked guide has been acquired.
For now, Android users would have to wait until September to see if the news brings truth as the finished version of Android 11 will most likely be launched during that time.
Currently, Android 11 is still in its beta phase, but it will most likely be completed sooner or later, as Google has promised its launch by the third quarter of the year.
Android Authority has listed the features that will be launched with the latest update, including muting notifications when a video is playing, increased touch sensitivity, auto-revoke app permissions and native screen recording.
