At the Google I/O earlier this year, Google had announced that they will be launching Android One and the launch will happen in India. Today, Google has announced the first set of Android One powered handsets and the starting price will be around Rs 6399, around $105, slightly higher than the promised below $100. These smartphones are to capture the low end or budget segment which is one of the highest growing segments.
Google has launched these new phones in partnership with mobile phone makers Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles. These three brands will be the first three handset makers to sell these devices to customers. These phones will be available for purchase online and Micromax has tied up with Amazon, while Karbonn with Snapdeal and Spice with Flipkart for their sales.
As per the information from ET, more Android One devices to come in following months, above and below price band of Rs 6,300. Google has set a basic spec sheet for Android One devices and they come with;
- Dual SIM
- 1.3Ghz MediaTek processor
- 1GB RAM
- Updates from Google
- 4.5 inch display
- SD card support
- FM Radio
We also have information on the new phones from these manufacturers. Karbonn has announced the new device, the Sparkle V which comes with the specs mentioned above and will feature 5 MP Camera and 1700mAh battery. The device is priced at Rs 6399 and can be got from Snapdeal.
Spice’s first Android One device is called Dream UNO Mi-498 and comes with 4.5-inch LCD Capacitive Touchscreen, FWVGA, 854 x 480 Pixels with 1.3Ghz Quad core MediaTek processor with 1GB RAM. The device has 5MP camera and 2MP secondary camera.
Update:
Micromax’s first device will be called Canvas A1 and will be available in black and white colors exclusive to Amazon. The specs of the device is similar to Spice and Karbonn.
The Android One phones offer a high-quality experience, running the latest version of Android (4.4 KitKat). They will be some of the first phones to get the new Android L release — an update that will offer Google’s new material design, improved battery life, enhanced security features, and smarter notifications.
Airtel and Reliance Communications are likely to offer bundled data plans with the Android One smartphones. Android One devices include support for seven additional languages including Hindi. Google says it plans to expand Android One to Indonesia, Phillippines and other South Asian countries by the end of 2014 and in more countries in 2015.
Via ET
