Android One is Google’s project that aims to improve the user-experience of affordable Android Phones in India. The company partnered with several OEMs like Micromax, Spice and Karbonn and most recently they had partnered with Lava to launch low-cost Android phones. Outcome of those partnerships were phones costing in the price range of Rs. 6,000 – Rs. 6,500. Google is now reportedly coming up with an ultra-low-cost smartphone that would sell around Rs. 3,000!
Google’s Managing Director in Southeast Asia, Rajan Anandan said in an interview with The Financial Times that the new Android One product will released in the next few weeks and the that they are planning to launch it between Rs. 2,000 – Rs. 3,000. This means that now they are not leaving the entry-level segment up for grabs and will cater to audience wanting Android experience at a really low cost.
Google had started off with Android One program last year in September. The main problem with the Android One program was that it was solely available online for a product targeted at rural India. It is all about core software experience and you get a no bloatware installed that roughly translates to a cleaner user-experience. Updates are directly from Google and not the manufacturer, which is a lot faster.
We’ll have to wait a few weeks Google manages to crack the affordable Android phone market in India with the upcoming Android One.
This will be great for individuals looking forward to a minimalistic smart phone experience only with important apps like Hangouts and Whatsapp. The selling factor would largely depend on how robust these devices are in terms of design. If coupled with Nokia like physical durability (like the entry level ones), this can turn out to be a game changer. 🙂