Nokia is the latest Android phone-maker to embrace the hole-punch display with the launch of the X71. Camera-centric phones have been par for the course for Nokia under both its previous owner Microsoft and current brand licensee HMD Global. The new...
HMD's Nokia had to share billing with Microsoft's surprise MWC press event this afternoon in Barcelona -- funny, when Microsoft once owned the phone brand. Now standing on its own again, the company once again had plenty of new device news to sha...
As usual, HMD Global has been very busy ahead of MWC. Not only did it build a pleasantly insane five-camera flagship, it also added a slew of mid-range and low-end smartphones. (Oh, and a feature phone follow-up to the Nokia 106 and 230, if that'...
When Android One launched it seemed like an exciting program. The program consisted of cheap devices with standard Google software. The updating system of the devices was incredibly fast. But it...
In a blog post called simply For the next five billion: Android One, Google announced the launch of its simplified mobile OS that was created for emerging markets, and with it, the first smartphone to run it.
From the title of the blog some might gather that two billion people are already using advanced smartphones and the latest tech, in general, which might seem a bit of a stretch. Google’s goal, as a matter of fact, is to make sure that most people on the planet (I would’ve said everyone, but that’s not realistic at all) can communicate and has access to information and (why not?) entertainment.
Android One smartphones won’t only be sufficiently powerful, but also very affordable. They will sport front- and back-facing cameras, expandable storage, dual-SIM slots, FM radio, and a replaceable battery.
Google’s Indian hardware partners Micromax, Karbonn, Spice launched today a few smartphones running Android One. Mediatek CPUs are powering the current smartphones, but the ones developed by Acer, Alcatel Onetouch, ASUS, HTC, Intex, Lava, Lenovo, Panasonic, and Xolo will have a Qualcomm processor at their core.
After India, a few other countries including Indonesia, the Philippines and South Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) will become part of the Android One program by the end of the year, and according to Google, there will be a lot more countries added to the list in 2015.
I know why Google chose to launch this in India (just look at that country’s population), but I don’t understand why Mountain View won’t bring these affordable devices to African countries. It is true that India has a greater population than the whole African continent, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a market there. Besides, those 1.1 million people that inhabit Africa are part of the next 5 billion Google was talking about in the post.
The following video must be among the best ones I’ve ever watched in terms of copywriting storytelling. The name of the OS is part of a word play and the message that should reach anyone watching the clip is that not only the operating system itself, but in fact the Android One smartphone users get to have an emotional impact on the others.
Google is hard at work trying to bring Android to the masses, and part of that intent is Android One, a special OS for emerging markets and low cost smartphones.
While the world awaits for news on Android 5.0 L, Google is not just sitting idle. Another project they have underway is called Android One, and it’s an OS for affordable, low cost phones in emerging markets. Devices sporting this new version of the almighty Android OS will release first in India. While we don’t have an official date just yet, everything seems to be lined up for a launch happening in either September or October.
Google do have a press event scheduled the 15th of September in India, but the company hasn’t confirmed what the event will be about. Our guess? The first batch of Android One devices, via local manufacturers such as Micromax.
As if the recent price cuts of Android smartphones weren’t enough, the search giant intends to make such mobile devices even more affordable. The Android One program marks the launch of qualitative Android phones with a price tag of under $100.
In comparison to the latest flagships, smartphones from China and India are already quite affordable, even though the build quality leaves a bit to be desired sometimes. Google means to make no compromises in terms of quality, while still offering Android handsets at decent prices.
Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Apps, announced during a keynote at the Google I/O conference that the Android One program will include a reference design on which device makers will build their devices.
Indian mobile device makers Micromax, Karbonn, and Spice are the first three companies to join the Android One program. Pichai even showcased a Micromax Android One smartphone while on the stage. The dual-SIM handset features a 4.5″ display (more than what Samsung Galaxy S2 had 3 years ago), FM radio and a microSD slot for extending the storage capacity. The amount of internal memory is currently unknown.
Google’s ultimate goal is to provide an Android smartphone to the remaining 5 billion that don’t currently own one. This is a bit of an impossible thing, as most people from emerging countries still won’t be able to afford getting an Android phone, regardless of how cheap it gets. Dreaming is not wrong though, and setting such a high goal will encourage the search giant to strive for progress continuously.
Pichai admitted that he had been using a Micromax Android One smartphone for a while now, and even expressed his excitement about the device, despite being used to high-end devices. The whole idea of having such decent specs for under $100 would’ve seemed unreal a few years ago, but the advancements in technology (I’m referring here both to materials and production procedures) could turn this into a reality really soon.
Hopefully, more and more device makers will join this program, and will realize that selling affordable devices in large quantities is a lot better both for themselves and for their customers than selling very expensive smartphones to a limited few. Google is definitely a pioneer, but it won’t be able to do it without the support of other manufacturers.
Nokia is the latest Android phone-maker to embrace the hole-punch display with the launch of the X71. Camera-centric phones have been par for the course for Nokia under both its previous owner Microsoft and current brand licensee HMD Global. The new...
HMD's Nokia had to share billing with Microsoft's surprise MWC press event this afternoon in Barcelona -- funny, when Microsoft once owned the phone brand. Now standing on its own again, the company once again had plenty of new device news to sha...
As usual, HMD Global has been very busy ahead of MWC. Not only did it build a pleasantly insane five-camera flagship, it also added a slew of mid-range and low-end smartphones. (Oh, and a feature phone follow-up to the Nokia 106 and 230, if that'...
