HMD Global’s entry-level Android smartphone, the Nokia 2 is promised to receive Android Oreo update sometime in 2018. However, HMD Global will be releasing Android 8.1 Oreo update to the Nokia 2 directly, instead of Android 8.0 Oreo update. The 8.1 Oreo update for the Nokia 2 will come with Android Oreo (Go Edition) memory management and performance features for improved performance.

You might be wondering why the company is skipping the Android 8.0 update. Well, there’s a reason behind that. Being HMD’s entry-level smartphone, the Nokia 2 features mediocre hardware, which is in-line with Google’s Android Go OS supported hardware. That said, HMD can’t move the Nokia 2 to Android Go program, the company would be using several tweaks from Android Oreo (Go Edition) to improve the performance.

Replying to a user on Twitter, Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer at HMD Global said that the Nokia 2 cannot be upgraded to Android Go, but HMd would be integrating memory management and other performance improvements with 8.1 based maintenance release. He also confirmed that Nokia 2 would directly receive Android 8.1 Oreo-based update, and not Android 8.0.

“Technically speaking no as a product cannot be upgraded to Go but we will integrate memory management features and other perf improvements with 8.1based maintenance release,” Sarvikas said.

However, he did not reveal when the update will be rolled out to the Nokia 2. At the launch event of Nokia 2 in India back last month, HMD confirmed that they would roll out Android Oreo update to the Nokia 2 in early 2018. So, maybe HMD is planning for the same.

Currently, HMD Global is testing the Android 8.0 Oreo update on its budget smartphones, the Nokia 5 and the Nokia 6. Both the smartphones are expected to receive the update by the end of 2017 or in the first week of 2018.

In January 2018, HMD has reportedly set a launch event in China, where the company is expected to release smartphones such as the Nokia 9, Nokia 8 (2018), and Nokia 6 (2018). Yesterday, a report cited that Nokia 1 will be HMD’s first Android Go Edition smartphone, which is expected to go official in March 2018.