Android One will be ready for prime time very soon, as the first devices are expected to hit the market in early September.
Google made several exciting announcements at its I/O 2014 developer conference back in June, and the Android One project was among the highlights. This promising new program aims to improve the smartphone experience and adoption in emerging markets, delivering dirt-cheap devices that more people could afford.
The first Android One smartphones will launch in India next month from Micromax, Karbonn, and Spice, with at least one device from each company. According to a new report from the Economic Times (ET), these smartphones from the three Indian manufacturers are expected to launch at price points between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000, which is more than the sub-Rs 6,000 ($100) price range Google originally touted for Android One devices.
The publication further notes the reason behind this slightly higher pricing. Sources directly involved in the development of the devices reportedly told the ET that Google provides a basic Android One standard, but manufacturers will go beyond that for their handsets.
"Android One is setting minimum hardware and software standards for the three vendors, who are adding or improving upon them in future devices under the Android One umbrella," one source told the publication.
The report further explains that local handset makers ultimately decide the pricing of the devices. The companies can choose the market segments they want to target, but Google will still keep an eye on things.
"To ensure product quality and final consumer experience, Google is working closely with the companies to develop the handsets and specify compatible components that local handset makers would have to incorporate from original design manufacturers in China, according to people privy to the contours of the talks between the vendors and the US company," the ET adds.
When it comes to what Indian consumers can expect from these Android One devices, the handsets will fall into the mid-tier segment of the market. The Economic Times had a look at one of these smartphones and reveals that it will have a display between 4.3 and 4.5 inches, a quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, dual-SIM card slots, SD support, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 1,700 mAh battery.
On the software side, the operating system on these Android One devices will reportedly receive an upgrade to Android L in October, making the smartphones even more attractive.
"Advantages of screen size and Google updates could make a difference to these smartphones offering better performance to what Indian buyers are accustomed to," added PwC India's Mohammad Chowdhury.
Google's Android One project aims to tap a new category of consumers looking for cheap handsets, which would significantly improve the company's market share in emerging markets. It remains to be seen how it will all pan out, but the first Android One devices are just around the corner.
