Google on Thursday released Android 10 (Go edition) -- a stripped-down version for entry-level Android smartphones with improvements like better encryption and faster interface.

Low-end Android devices are slated to get the Android 10 Go later this year.

"With Android 10 (Go edition), we've made Android faster and more secure. First, this new release helps you switch between apps faster and in a memory-efficient way," the company said in a statement.

With Android 10 Go, the apps will now launch 10 per cent faster than they did on Android 9 Go.

"Encryption underpins our digital security, as it protects your data even if your device falls into the wrong hands. That's why Android 10 (Go edition) includes a new form of encryption, built by Google for entry-level smartphones, called 'Adiantum'," Google added.

'Adiantum' is essentially built to run efficiently without specialised hardware, meaning all Go edition users will have the same level of data security as any Android device, without compromising performance.

This will make the next generation of devices more secure than their predecessors, thus, allowing the next billion people coming online for the first time to do so safely.

In the last 18 months, over 500 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have launched more than 1,600 Android Go device models in over 180 countries including India, South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil and the US. 

These devices, including the Samsung A2, Xiaomi Redmi Go, Tecno Spark 2 and Mobicel Astro, make up over 80 per cent of entry-level Android phones activating today, the company said.