Google has finally launched Android One devices in India with starting price of INR 6399 (~$105). The phones are launched in partnership with local companies – Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles.
– Android One will come bundled with local language support for Hindi.
– All Android one smartphones to get Android L update first, which puts a lot of pressure on other manufacturers who are still selling 4.1 – 4.3 version devices.
– Android One smartphones will be sold on Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal today starting 3.30 pm and through offline distributors later (Snapdeal is launching Karbonn Sparkle V at INR 6399).
– The BIG Deal? Google has announced that they will provide software update for 2 years for all Android One devices. A great way to tackle fragmentation issue!
And the BIGGER DEAL? Operators will NOT charge you to download OS updates!!
– Google has also announced partnership with Qualcomm.
This is a BIG diwali bonus from Google India (Apple too is launching iPhone 6 in India during Diwali season).
Android One Specifications
- 4.5 inch screen
- Dual sim
- Quad core processor
- 1GB ram
- SD card slot
What exactly is Google doing? Well, controlling hardware and software [read : Why Android One Is Google’s Most Strategic Masterstroke Ever!].
The starting price of Android One device in India currently is INR 6399 – Samsung, Xiaomi, Gionee, Lava, ASUS and others who aren’t part of the Android One club are definitely in for a tough battle (Acer , Asus and HTC will join the bandwagon later).
Much like Moto G and Moto E, these Android One devices will sport stock Android — the pure Android experience that discards any OEM and carrier bloatware apps. Google has always wanted to get people to have the pure Android experience at very reasonable prices — which is the point of existence of Nexus devices.
And today, Google is rewriting the Android story in India.