Tech giant Google has launched Google Go in Nigeria and 29 other countries in Africa to give users a faster and lighter way to search and access the internet.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, in Ikoyi, Lagos, Google’s Country Director, Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan revealed; “There are about 30 million smart phone users and the number increases annually, however, upon expansive and in depth research in to smart phone usage, it was found that 73% of users have less than or 1GB RAM and low memory space which causes hitches while searching on the internet. Also there is the issue of data cost and reliability.
Taking all these into consideration, Google has made this innovation, Google Go, based on a new compression technology.”
Stating the features of the App, Lolu Bodunwa, Product Marketing Manager, Sub Saharan Africa disclosed; Google Go is less than 5MB making it easy to download. With just a tap, you can easily search for what’s trending in your country, find an inspirational quote to post on Twitter or Instagram, look for GIFs, discover places nearby and browse videos. With Google Go, you can access all your favorite apps and websites and discover the top destinations in your country.
The app uses the latest version of Google’s advanced compression algorithm, using up to 40% less data to display search results. Search results are also cached on the device so you can quickly re-access previous searches, even when you’re offline, without incurring further data costs.
When there’s no Internet access, Google Go retries failed search requests in the background and lets you know as soon as the results are ready. Web pages load quickly, even in data-saving mode or on 2G connections.
Google Go is available in 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa via the Google Play Store.
