Tech giant launches new product that makes search lighter and faster

Tech giant Google announced today, Thursday, April 12, 2018, the launch of a new product Google Go, an app that promises to make searching the Internet a lighter and faster experience.

In a statement released by Google "as more and more Africans come online every year, using mobile phones as their primary and sometimes only internet device, online isn’t somewhere they ‘go’ anymore, it’s where they live - connecting with the people, places and things that matter to them. Weak data connectivity, high data costs and low RAM or storage space often make it hard for people to get the most out of the Internet - Google Go is built to handle these challenges.

“Users come to us to experience the web and access accurate information quickly. Unfortunately users can’t always decide on the type of device they have or the kind of connection they are on,” says Google Africa Chief Marketing Officer, Mzamo Masito. “Google Go is designed from the ground up to address these issues and provide a seamless experience irrespective of what device or network the user is on.”

The app 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.