Google has announced Android One

Google has announced Android One, a design reference platform that will enable manufacturers to build ultra-cheap smartphones with much more ease. The move could see Indian mobile device brands up the ante with stable entry-level smartphones powered by Android mobile operating system.

Delivering his keynote address at I/O 2014, Google's annual developer conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, Sundar Pichai, Google's head of Android and Chrome platforms, said Android One will in fact let phone-makers pool in resources to create a reference platform for smartphones, thus saving time and costs in launching new models.

The software powering these sub-Rs 6,000 smartphones will be stock Android, but manufacturers and telecom carriers can differentiate their products by adding a few of their own custom apps without diluting the Android experience like bigger players Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony etc already do.

Like Nexus and Google Play Edition products, Android One smartphones will get software updates from Google. Pichai said that these smartphones will get a list of recommended apps from 'Play Auto-installs'.

Google will begin the programme from India and announced that it has already roped in Micromax, Karbonn and Spice as initial partners. Interestingly, Microsoft is also trying to capture this segment by working closely with Indian brands like Micromax, Xolo and Karbonn to launch cheap smartphones that run on its Windows Phone 8.1.

In the keynote, Pichai gave the example of an Android One-powered Micromax smartphone, which will have a 4.5-inch screen, dual sim functionality, microSD card support and FM radio priced under $100.

Google has revealed that Android is used by a billion users and the Android One initiative is part of its aim to reach out to the next five billion smartphone users. Currently, only 10% of India's user base possesses smartphones and Google's move could lead to a proliferation of affordable Android-based smartphones reaching many more hands.

Smartphone sales in India remain high at the bottom end and the sub-Rs 10,000 segment has seen sales surge with the launch of Moto E. Various manufacturers are looking to tap into this demand with ultra-cheap smartphones even with the latest version of the Android.

Though there are a few $100 (Rs 5,000-6,000) Android smartphones in the Indian market, but they are restricted by low-end hardware and generally deliver a poor user experience. If Android One devices are able to deliver good performance without breaking the price barrier, Google will be able to turn feature phone users into smartphone buyers and increase its own user base.

However, on the price front, Mozilla is working on undercutting even Google. It has partnered with Spice and Intex to bring Firefox OS-powered smartphones to India for less than Rs 2,000, but its app store remains nascent compared to Google's Play Store marketplace.

It also remains to be seen how far Microsoft will respond to the development. On one hand, it has Nokia X, Asha and entry-level Lumia phones in its arsenal, and on the other it is trying to closely work with the same set of manufacturers to launch cheaper Windows Phone handsets.

-TOI