For many, the annual “partner walk” from Android is one of the highlights ofMWC. With so many partners at the show,Androidprovides a little fun relief for attendees at the Barcelona show.
Taking a section of how the Fira Gran Via outside the exhibition halls, The Android Works provides a place for people to relax, customise their own Android character and plan their attack on Android pin badges.
There are three sets, designed to be collected over three days of the show - bronze, silver and gold - and each offers 26 pin badges to collect, which are spread across Android partners at the show. So that’s 78 pin badges.
Once attendees have collected a full set of badges, they can show the completed workbook and receive a special Android Oreo pin badge in bronze, silver and gold flavours.
There are some special pin badges floating around, however, with the Google Assistant pin badge just being a special bonus.
And Google Assistant is partly what this is all about. Google Assistant is not only in all those Android phones that have launched at the show, but across a growing range of devices likesmart displaysand Google Assistant speakers too.
In addition, there’s really been movement onAndroid One. Android One has been talked about for a while, but with Nokia committing to be part of Android One, there’s a real sense that quality pure Android phone - outside the Pixel programme - are on the map.
At the other end of the scale,Android Gohas seen itself get off to a flying start. Announced at Google I/O 2017, Android Go is designed as a lightweight version of Android Oreo that reduces the demands on the phone and reduces the amount of data needed.
Nokia has also released an Android Go phone -the Nokia 1- as has Alcatel. These are devices aiming to bring Android to more users at lower prices.
Of course, there’s a whole heap of Android phones, withNokia,SamsungandSonyamongst those launching at the show.
