Android Go is a lightweight version of Android operating system launched by Google targeting low end smartphones with the OS & apps optimized for low memory and storage. Smartphones with the latest Android 9 Go Edition were expected around Q4 2018 with further storage optimization, better security, and faster boot time.
It’s unclear whether the just launched HOMTOM C1 Android Go edition features the Android 9 version, as all screenshots appear to show Android 8 Go Edition. But eventually it might get a firmware update, and it’s now sold for around $65 shipped on Aliexpress.
HOMTOM C1 specifications:
- SoC – MediaTek MT6580A quad core Cortex A7 processor @ up to 1.3 GHz with Mali-400MP2 GPU
- System Memory – 1GB RAM
- Storage – 16GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot up to 128GB
- Display – 5.5″ touchscreen display with 1280×640 resolution
- Cellular Connectivity
- Dual SIM dual standby SIM card socket for 2x Nano SIM or 1x Nano SIM + micro SD card
- 2G / GSM – B5 850/B8 900/B3 1800/ B2 1900
- 3G – B1/B2/B5 2100/1900/850
- Wireless Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
- Camera – 5.0MP front-facing camera, 8MP rear camera
- USB – 1x USB 2.0 type-C port
- Sensor – Fingerprint sensor
- Battery – 3,000 mAh battery good for 23 hours of talk time, 400 hours in standby
The phone ships with a charger, a USB cable, a user manual, a screen protector, a SIM card tool, and a back cover. Beside Android Go optimization, the phone main advantage may be the fairly large display for a device that price. I’m still unclear whether there’s any firmware update commitment with Android Go smartphone like there is for Android One program, but if Google and manufacturers do update firmware regularly they don’t really advertise it apart from the usual “OTA firmware update” which does not mean anything with regards to the frequency of updates.
Via AndroidPC.es
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress
Thanks for the advertisement….
Unfortunately, in recent times, your posts here are lacking relevance and are a complete waste of your readers time (and patience).
Just look at this gem:
“the phone main advantage may be the fairly large display for a device that price”
Yeah, with 1280×640 resolution and not IPS, it really should be a GREAT display…
Shame on you CNX……
The Umidigi phones are far more cost effective. For example the A3 is $70 shipped on Aliexpress.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/UMIDIGI-A3-Global-Band-5-5-incell-HD-display-2GB-16GB-smartphone-Quad-core-Android-8/32924834226.html
Double the RAM, larger screen, real Android, better camera, far better band support, quad core A53 (vs A7).
And it is cheaper too!
This phone is MTK67389 based. The MTK6739 is supported in the Android source download for the MTK6737 OrangePi 4G board.
Almost 4 years old soc without 4g, yeah no thanks.
Real brands like Xiaomi Redmi 6A is 85 usd, Huawei Y5 82 Usd…
Not sure where you get 4 year old SOC and no LTE, MT6739 was released in Sept 2017 and it has LTE. Or were you referring to HOMTOM C1, not the A3?
Huawei Y5 has the same MT6739 CPU as A3, but it only has Chinese bands.
Redmi 6A is Helio A22, same Chinese bands.
There is nothing close to A3 for $70 with 8/14 US bands.
4G: TDD-LTE 38/40/41
4G: FDD-LTE 1 /2 /3 /4 /5 /7 /8 /12 /13 /17 /19 /20
Jon, how easily hackable is this phone? Can you replace the kernel? Are there blobs missing from bsp for OrangePi 4G? If I brick the kernel, can I unbrick it with just USB+bootloader?
I’m looking for something hackable, and this looks promising.
Umidigi supplies Magisk for their phones. And they supply a low level flash tool. Low level tool can even recover from wiping the bootloader.
https://community.umidigi.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=17376&highlight=magisk
Don’t do a format all on the phone. There is a hidden partition with phone specific things like calibration for the radios and fingerprint scanner. If you wipe it out they will charge you $25 to regenerate it. So as long as you don’t wipe this out you can recover from anything. Even if you wipe it out like I did, you just lose the finger print scanner and maybe have some issues with cell connections.
There are lots more tools in that OrangePI SDK. All Mediatek phones use the same tools.
Note that I did my hacking on the A1 before the A3 came out. The A3 is just a cost reduced version of the A1. For $70 you can’t go wrong.
i talked about the original phone, just wrongly replied, sorry John.
It’s 64.79 on the link…
Second that, shop around as many HomTom smartphone seem to on offer around the internet.
Yes, they changed the price since I posted about it.