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

Google will bring low cost phones to india by september october

Google announced Wednesday it was working on a low-cost smartphone aimed at emerging markets as part of an initiative called Android One.

The Android-powered handset will be built with a basic set of features including FM radio, have a screen slightly smaller than five inches (12.7 centimeters) and be priced at less than $100, Google senior vice president Sundar Pichai said at the start of the technology giant's annual developers conference.

"We are going to be launching it around the world, but will launch in India first in the fall of this year," Pichai said.

He added that Google was working with carriers in India to provide affordable telecom service packages to go with the smartphones, which could in many cases provide internet access for the first time.

The Android One initiative sets out to work with smartphone makers and others in the "ecosystem" to pool resources and standardize hardware platforms to provide "turnkey solutions" for making handsets, according to Pichai.

"There are many people — billions of people, in fact — who still don't have access to a smartphone," he said.

"We want to change that." Low-cost phones powered by Android have proven popular in developing markets, but have been vexed by "fragmentation" because handset makers customize the software to suit different hardware or set themselves apart from rivals.

The variations result in popular third-party applications typically not working across the array of Android devices, frustrating users who want the latest fun, hip or helpful mobile mini-programme.

Android One software for low-priced smartphones in emerging countries could bring some consistency across devices, according to Gartner consumer technology research director Brian Blau.

"Google really needs to have a solution for emerging markets with low-cost devices," Blau told AFP.

"It is going to be a long, tough road to have an impact there; it is going to take years to bring the next two to three billion people onto the internet."

Google is collaborating with handset makers and others in the industry to field affordable smartphones that are high quality and come with reasonably priced data plans.

Handsets will be made by Google partners and launch with an initial range of "sub-$100" smartphones.

"We've long wondered what potential could be unleashed if people everywhere had access to the latest technology and the world's information," Pichai said. "It's time to find out."

Google and Silicon Valley rival Facebook have made priorities out of connecting with people in parts of the world where internet connectivity is scan, unreliable or just non-existent.

Having more people tune into websites or services mean expanded opportunities to make money from online advertising or providing tools that connect shops with customers.

Google does not make money from hardware, with its own branded gadgets meant to set standards and show off software capabilities with an eye toward inspiring electronics manufacturers to raise their games when it comes to Android or Chrome devices.

Developing countries have become prime targets for smartphone makers, and Android software made available free to handset makers has proven to be popular with budget-conscious buyers.

The news came a day after Microsoft said it would sell an Android-powered Nokia smartphone at a price of $135, a device also apparently aimed at emerging markets customers.

In April, Google acquired Titan Aerospace, a maker of solar-powered drones that could be used to boost internet access to remote areas.

Google also is developing Project Loon, which uses large balloons for transmitting internet signals to regions that are not currently connected.

"They are to some degree becoming an ISP (Internet service provider) because they have to," Blau

-TOI