Tag: Android one

Google Announces Moto X4 Android One Edition

Earlier in September there as a leak of an Android One branded Moto X4, and now, Google has officially announced the new smartphone. The Moto X4 Android One for Project Fi is available only in the United States as of now and is priced at US$399 (Rs. 25800 approx.). The device can be pre-ordered from the Project Fi website right now and is available in Super Black and Sterling Blue colours.

Android One is Google’s project to provide pure Android OS experience and timely software updates to smartphones. In a blog post, Google said:

Like all Android One phones, Android One Moto X4 runs a pure Android experience, with a clean software design and a carefully curated set of preinstalled apps to give you just what you need. For example, it comes optimized for the Google Assistant to help you get more done, and offers high-quality video calling with Google Duo. You’ll also get access to the latest updates from Android, such as Android Oreo before the end of the year. Android One moto x⁴ will be among the first to receive an upgrade to Android P.

Project Fi is a Google-run network service is a customizable package that switches between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. It eradicates boundaries and gives customers the freedom to use the network in their hometown and during international travels at the same rate.

As far as specifications are concerned, the Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection. The smartphone runs stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities. Motorola recently announced that the Moto X4 will receive an update to Android 8.0 Oreo by the end of the year. The company claims that the 15 mins of charge can give up to 6 hours of talk time. The Moto X4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 508 GPU, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The new smartphone will also feature Alexa, the Amazon AI voice assistant. This isn’t the first time that Alexa has made its way onto a smartphone, the Huawei Mate 9 was the first smartphone to feature the voice assistant. Since then, we have also seen Alexa make its way to the HTC U11.The 4 in Moto X4 signifies that the new smartphone will be able to share the sound with up to 4 devices, thanks to the presence of Bluetooth 5.0.

The Moto X4 has a dual-camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, and the 8MP secondary camera with an f/2.2 aperture is equipped with a wide-angle lens. The dual-cameras allow users to have depth effect shots, bokeh effect shots, ultra-wide angle shots, and selective focus shots. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an LED flash. The cameras record 4K videos at 30 FPS.

The regular variant of the Moto X4 will launch in India on 3rd October and the price is expected to be around Rs 25,000.

September 21, 2017
Xiaomi Launches Mi A1 With Dual Cameras And Stock Android In India

Xiaomi has announced the new Mi A1 at an event in New Delhi at a price of Rs 14,999. The phone will be available in Black, Gold and Rose Gold colour variants. The Mi A1 will be the first Xiaomi smartphone to feature stock Android OS in association with Google’s Android One program. The company has also confirmed that the device will receive Android 8.0 Oreo update before the end of 2017 and will be in line to receive to Android P update next year.

The smartphone has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px LTPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection and aluminum unibody build. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery and 2A charging through the Type C port. The Mi A1 runs pure Android 7.1.2 Nougat OS. Even though the phone has stock Android OS, Xiaomi has retained a few apps, such as the Mi camera app since the Google app doesn’t support dual-camera functions right now. The phone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 8x ARM Cortex A53 2.0GHz 64-bit processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. Handling the graphics under the hood is the Adreno 505 GPU. The pyrolytic graphite sheet will help in heat management as well, Xiaomi claims. The Xiaomi Mi A1 has an IR blaster to control appliances in your home or office. The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device below the camera. Xiaomi has also included a dedicated headphone amplifier for better music listening experience.

In terms of optics, the smartphone features dual sensors – 12MP with an f/2.2 aperture (26mm) and 12MP with an f/2.6 aperture (50mm) setup with 1.25-micron pixel size. Out of the two cameras at the back, the primary one is equipped with a telephoto lens and the secondary camera has a wide-angle lens. The telephoto lens allows the user to take bokeh effect shots with blurred background and a 2X optical lossless zoom. For landscape shots, Xiaomi has introduced a wide angle lens while on the front is a 5MP camera.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is priced at Rs 14,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage variant and will be available on Flipkart, mi.com, Mi Home stores and offline partner stores. The smartphone will go on sale from September 12 at Noon online and offline. Xiaomi has teamed up with Airtel to give up to 300GB of 4G data to new and existing Airtel customers on the purchase of the Xiaomi Mi A1.

September 5, 2017
Google CEO Sundar Pichai to Launch Revamped Android One in India

News has been going around that Google CEO Sundar Pichai will be in India for the first time since his new appointment as CEO. Reports also highlighted that Pichai will be meeting PM Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee. Now, new reports suggest that Pichai will be launching the Android One version 2 in India.

An event is scheduled to be held on December 16 and invites have been sent out already that reads, “At Google, we believe that technology can change people’s lives for the better. Indians are coming online at an astonishing rate with affordable smartphones. These new users have a completely fresh view on what the Internet has to offer. Please block your date for an event with Google as we outline our vision for these users.”

The invite refers to affordable phones that lets new users access to the internet. Google had launched the sub-Rs. 3000 Android One phones last year, but they failed to get noticed due to the onslaught of Chinese makers.

India was the first country to release Android One devices that comprised of four phones – Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V, Spice Dream UNO, and Lava Pixel V1. All except Spice Dream UNO are now upgradeable to Marshmallow OS.

While the first version failed to make an impact, Google has been talking of a revamped Android One for the Indian market. The company plans to launch the sub-Rs. 3000 Android device as part of Google’s (as well as PM Modi’s) push for a connected India.

December 7, 2015
Google is Reworking Its Android One Strategy In India

According to reports, Google is set to relaunch its Android cut-price smartphone project in India with a goal of delivering an efficient Android device at an approximate rate of $50 (Rs.3,187 approx.). Android One is a set of specifications that helps manufacturers make cheap and good quality smartphones. This project launched in New Delhi last September, but has struggled since.

Mr Anandan, the managing director in India and Southeast Asia, has reportedly attributed this to supply chain issues that are imported from China, however, the plans for a reboot are said to be revealed in “the next few weeks”. The Android One phones, when launched last year, were priced at about $100 (Rs. 6376 approx.) but, it has been reported that the company would like to target the cost-conscious smartphone users in India and price the phones at $31 to $47, that is around Rs.2000 and Rs.3000.

Over the new few years Google aims “to bring to market high-quality, even more affordable devices… from 6,000 rupees to 5,000 rupees, 4,000 rupees to 3,000 rupees”, he added.

However, there are certain problems that Google faces in India, one of them being – the small size of the local market for digital advertising accompanied by India’s slow bandwidth that hampers their apps such as YouTube and maps; both of which require fast internet connections.

Their response to this, is to fend off local competitors by developing products that are suitable for Indian customers with slow data connections. And an example of this, would be their recently launched offline versions of YouTube and Maps.

It is yet to be seen whether this Google initiative will catch up with the Indian market, and 10 years from now, which big company will dominate India’s ever growing online population.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0%2F6009c540-3ce0-11e5-8613-07d16aad2152.html#axzz3iNsgHeJK”]ft.com[/tw-button]

August 10, 2015

Lava Officially Launches its Android One Offering Priced at Rs. 11,350

We brought you news in the morning, stating that Lava was going to release its new phone, this afternoon and also giving you the leaked specs and price. However, we now have the official specs and price of Lava’s new Android One smartphone.

Priced at Rs. 11,350, the Lava Pixel V1 will be on sale exclusively on Flipkart and retail stores, starting next Monday. This Android One phone will also receive regular updates for up to 2 years, just like all the others do. Other than this, the phone will be available in two colours; Gold and White-Silver. The phone has a 2650 mAh battery and its connectivity options include a Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, USB OTG, and Micro-USB.

To take care of the camera needs, is a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP secondary camera. The phone comes with dual SIM support and with 3G connectivity on both the SIMs. However, it doesn’t have 4G LTE connectivity and might prove to be at a huge disadvantage due to this. With the market today, flooded with 4G enabled smartphones that are cheaper than the Pixel V1, only time will tell if it will be able to compete with the plethora of smartphones available.

Its main contenders, Yu Yureka and Lenovo K3 Note, both prove to be tough competition. However, with Google’s support, Lava Pixel V1 will stay ahead in getting timely software updates.

Here is the complete spec sheet for the Lava Pixel V1:

Specification	Lava Pixel V1
Display	5.5-inch HD IPS display
Resolution	1280 x 720 HD
Chipset	NA
Processor	1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek (MT6582)
GPU	NA
RAM	2 GB
Storage	32 GB
Expandability	32 GB
Rear Camera	13 MP
Rear Camera Video	NA
Front Camera	8MP
Front Camera Video	NA
Battery	2650 mAh battery
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop
Connectivity	GSM, WCDMA Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, USB OTG, and Micro-USB.
Miscellaneous	NA
Price	Rs. 11,350

July 27, 2015

Major Leak : Lava’s Android One Device, the Pixel V1

We have an exciting week ahead of us. In the next few days we’re officially going to see the arrival of OnePlus 2, Moto G (Gen 3) and an ultra budget smartphone by Micromax. Kicking off the week, however, is the new Android One phone, on the block.

We now have information that at noon today, Lava will unveil the Pixel V1. The smartphone is said to arrive with a 5.5-inch 720p display and powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor.

To take care of the camera needs, will be a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP secondary camera. The device will come with 32GB of storage space and is expected to be priced between Rs. 10-12K.

Other than that, reports online also mention the presence of a 2,650mAh battery, and the use of Android 5.1.1 – which is expected as it is an Android One device.

The Android One initiative, which was announced at Google I/O last year, is Google’s direct link to the lower-end consumers. The biggest issue with the Android platform is high levels of fragmentation, devices running older versions of the OS are still available for sale in the market. With the lessons learnt by this initiative, the Android team may be able to provide a better integration of its OS across devices.

In the past we haven’t seen worthy devices by this initiative, however it looks like the Lava Pixel V1 may arrive to change that perception.

Thanks, anonymous insider.

July 27, 2015
Spice Android One Devices to Receive Android 5.1 Update

It took a long while, but it is finally here. When the customers of the Android One devices bought their devices, they were promised immediate updates. Those updates have taken a long while now, but they’re finally here. Spice has announced that it will start rolling out Android 5.0 updates for its Android One devices.

Spice has said that it will start rolling out the updates in batches over the next few days. Spice has two Android One devices in its portfolio: Spice Dream Uno and Spice Dream Uno H. Both of them run Android 4.4.4 Kitkat out of the box.

Android 5.1 update takes care of all the bugs that were found in Android 5.0 and adds new features too. The 5.1 update offers a new silent mode; improvements in system stability; improved RAM management; fixes for sudden app closures; improved battery management; excessive consumption of network devices when used Wi-Fi fixed; fixes for issues with wireless connections; fixes for Ok Google function; fixes for notifications problems; some sound problems experienced by certain devices fixed, and changes in the Material Design colour palette.

There is no news yet on the date of arrival of the Lollipop update on other Android One devices. Google has already launched the Android One devices in Indonesia that run Android 5.1 out of the box. So it wouldn’t be long before the other Indian devices get their updates too.

March 3, 2015
Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Now Rolling Out For Android One Devices

Google, today, has revealed that it has begun rolling out Lollipop update to a small number of Android One devices in India. This roll-out process will be gradual and on a weekly basis, hence only some randomly selected devices will get the update via OTA, with users on Wi-Fi having a better chance at getting these updates.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Ceaser Sengupta” author_title=”Google Product Management Director, in a Google+ post.”]

To those with Android One phones in India, here’s where we are with the over-the-air (OTA) update that will bring Android Lollipop to you soon. We’ve already started rolling out Lollipop to a small number of phones in India. This is a gradual process and so each week we’ll push the OTA update to more phones selected at random (pro-tip: connecting over WiFi will increase your odds). We thank you again for your patience, and please stay tuned for further updates.

[/quote]

It can be recalled that Android version 5.0 was launched back in November 2014, and the Android One users were supposed to be among the first few to receive this update. Unfortunately, that never happened and Lollipop is way past its scheduled time of arrival on the Android One devices.

The Nexus line-up of devices have already received the update back in November and manufacturers like Motorola, HTC and Samsung have already started rolling out the update to few of their smartphones.

As of now, the exact version of the Lollipop for Android One phones has not been revealed yet, but it most likely will be Android 5.1. There are presently three Android One devices in India, Karbonn Sparkle V, Micromax Canvas A1, and the Spice Dream UNO. The owners of these low-cost devices will be pretty excited after this news.

February 24, 2015
Android One Smartphones Next in Line to Get the Lollipop Update

Google has posted a tweet that might lure customers into buying the low-cost Android One devices. Google India tweeted from its official Twitter handle stating that the company will roll out the Android Lollipop update for Indians in the coming weeks.

Android One users in India — you’ll be getting the Lollipop update in the next few weeks. @androidone

— Google India (@googleindia) February 4, 2015

At a time, when only 2% of the Android devices are powered by Lollipop after three months of release, it’s quite a move by the company. This announcement will please Android One users who have been desperately waiting for the update.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Android 5.1 Lollipop was spotted on Android One devices in Indonesia.

With Lollipop coming to Android One handsets, users will experience improved natural touch screen interactions. The Material Design gets more clear and bolder colours to the screen. Along with that, notifications pop up on the lock screen itself and facilitates dismissing them without unlocking it. Overall, it offers a bloatware-free and seamless Android experience.

February 4, 2015
Second Wave of the Android One Initiative to Include Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Even though Google’s Android One initiative in India did not surpass expectations, the company has announced to take this endeavor to other emerging markets. The internet search giant announced on its official blog that it is expanding its reach, and will be soon launching the initiative in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The initiative was launched in India in September as a test pilot. Google partnered with local manufactures namely Micromax, Karbonn and Spice and released three Android One smartphones in the country.

Recently, Spice launched their second Android One handset called the Dream Uno H which was targeted at the Hindi speaking audience. Karbonn has also confirmed a new Android One handset which will debut during the first quarter of 2015. Additionally, it was also reported that all Android One smartphones will receive a Lollipop update sometime this month.

For the second wave of the Android One units, Google has partnered with a wide range of manufacturers and network partners such as Bangalink to sell Android One smartphones in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Along with India manufactures, Bangladesh’s own Symphony will launch their first Android One smartphone with Symphony Roar A50. The exact timeline for the launch in these countries is not mentioned, Google stated that the smartphones will go on sale ‘in the coming weeks.’

December 22, 2014
Google Rethinking its Sales Strategy for Android One in India

Google’s Android One initiative has been struggling to get hold of the Indian market since its release. However, the budget segment is so crowded with some amazing smartphones like Moto E, Zenfone 5, Redmi 1S and more that there is simply no space for any other device with same specs.

Android One’s first and foremost advantage was the Google’s direct involvement, which meant speedy software updates. However, that also seems to go down the drain as Android One devices still haven’t got the Lollipop update. The company launched the Android One in September, but it has faced some challenges in the market.

Offline retailers have been complaining about low margins for the device. Another big issue was related to its constrained supply. But despite these challenges, around 5 lakh Android One devices have been sold by Micromax, Karbonn and Spice by October-end, according to reports.

Sandeep Menon, Director of Marketing at Google India, commented on the issue, “We continue to get strong consumer demand. We track things like average number of people walking into stores and asking for Android One devices. From that perspective we are extremely happy. Pricing and margins for retailers are in the hands of the OEM partners but we are constantly engaged with them. Our engineers are working with new suppliers in China to benefit OEM partners in terms of choice and availability.”

Even though Menon seemed confident about the sales, the recent reports have shown that Android One devices have been struggling to break into the market and haven’t been able to reach sales goal that the company expected. In order to hook more offline consumers, Google is working on creating awareness about Android One’s features through 30,000 brand ambassadors deployed at various retail outlets.

According to concerned officials, the demand for Android One has increased further after making the product available in the offline channel. Google is trying to make the device a successful initiative as the global rollout of Android One depends on how the device has performed in India.

But that’s not a situation Google has to confront for now. “Our global rollout of Android One is as per the original schedule. There’s no change in that,” said Menon, promising that there would be new announcements on Android One over the next few months.

November 25, 2014
Come January End, Android One Devices Will Get Their Lollipop

The latest Android mobile OS Lollipop has already hit the devices such as Google’s Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 tablet. However, it was uncertain till now that when will Android One devices get the new update.

According to recent reports, the Lollipop update for the Android One phones is ready and consumers may start seeing it on their phones as early as the middle of December. This means that starting next month, you can expect your Android One to get an update via OTA.

Although Google has remained quiet about the update to Android One devices, Spice, the company which made Dream Uno phone for Android One programme, has stated that the Lollipop update to its users will be rolled out by the end of January. “We plan to provide Lollipop in our Android One devices around January 2015 and the update will be available for all Dream Uno users in India,” stated Prashant Bindal, CEO, Spice Mobility.

The Android One initiative was taken by Google to boost the smartphone adoption rate in emerging markets. Google launched Android One handsets with great promises not just by the company, but also by the homegrown players that collaborated with the search giant and came out with inexpensive handsets. Though, the Android One smartphones, which are priced at Rs. 6,399 onwards, have been advertised more than any other handset launched by the three companies, they failed to get the desired response.

India is the first country where the California-based firm’s Android One devices have been launched. Roll out across other markets like Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka will follow in coming months.

November 20, 2014
According to IDC, India Will be a Tough Market for Android One

Google launched Android One handsets with great promises by not just the company, but also the home grown players that collaborated with the search giant and came out with inexpensive handsets. Though the Android One smartphones, which are priced Rs 6,399 onwards, have been advertised more than any other handset launched by the three companies, they have failed to get the sort of response they expected.

“Despite significant marketing spend already in evidence on Android One, IDC believes India will be a tough crucible for Google. Blocked out of China, Google has no choice but to make a large downstream investment in the Next Billion consumer segment in India,” the research firm said.

The Android One initiative was expected to be an instant success and their manufacturers were expected to make huge profits on the ‘exceptional’ handsets that the company launched last month. They also got good reviews and Micromax’s Android One handset was called the best handset that the company had ever launched.

India is the first country where the California-based firm’s Android One devices have been launched. Roll out across other markets like Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka will follow in coming months. The reports added that the Android One will go further and effectively create a bipolar environment where the high-end will be dominated by the likes of Apple and Samsung with their iPhone and Galaxy flagship devices and the low-end will increasingly close around Rs. 6,000 average selling price.

October 13, 2014

Unboxing and Hands On : Micromax Canvas A1

Google yesterday finally unveiled its Android One line of phones. The phones are brought in cooperation with three Indian companies, Micromax, Karbonn and Spice.

We check out Micromax’s Android One variant called the Canvas A1. The phone comes with the latest Android Kitkat V4.4.4 which is a plus. The phones also get Airtel’s 6 month data pack through which users get automatic updates and free app download. The specs are good for the price and it is a great buy for people shifting from feature phones to smartphones.

Specs	Micromax Canvas A1
Display	4.5 inch, 480×854 pixels
Battery capacity (mAh)	1700, removable
Processor	1.3GHz, quad-core
RAM	1 GB
Memory	4GB, expandable up to 32 GB
Camera	5 MP primary, 2 MP secondary
Operating System	Android 4.4.4 KitKat

September 16, 2014

Soon You Can Watch Your Favorite YouTube Videos Offline, Officially!

YouTube is huge. It’s practically impossible for a single human being to watch all that there is on this massive website. Most importantly, the state of the internet in India is well known. The poor connectivity and the pricey access to internet lead many to stay away from watching multimedia-heavy content like videos. Watching videos on mobile data connection is a big no-no as they can incur massive costs.

The folks, who do have regular access to a decent internet connection, still prefer to save the videos through some semi-illegal means to avoid buffering. Now Google is going to officially allow Indian YouTube users to watch their favorite videos offline for as many times they want.

Ceasar Sengupta, Google Vice President Product Management said “YouTube is popular here. You watch some videos again and again. How awesome would it be if you could keep watching them again and again without having to pay for data, and take the videos with you wherever you go?”

India still is a massive video subscriber as a whole. According to comscore, the total online video audience in India saw growth of over 70 per cent in 2013 with the average viewer watching 18 per cent more videos and spending 28 per cent more time viewing them. YouTube alone gets over 60 million unique users a month and about one-third of the traffic coming from mobile phones. The country as a whole watches about 3.7 billion videos per month.

This will be the second gift to India from Google after the launch of the Android One devices. India has no shortage of amazing YouTube talent. Sure iGyaan is awesome, but there are folks who are doing some amazing stuff too. This move by Google will help take these talents even further as people can just save the videos offline and take them to areas with no internet and propagate the video. Though that won’t increase the view count on YouTube, it will still bring the awesomeness of Indian YouTubers to a new, wider audience.

It appears that Google is seeing India as a major market. India is the first country where Google has introduced the Android One line-up of phones. It can also be the case that the huge Indian diaspora at Google is helping to develop their homeland. Whatever the case may be, the Indian population can only benefit from the inflow of innovative resources from this gigantic corporation. Let’s hope to see this partnership grow and hopefully someday soon, India will become testing grounds for the Google Fibre. That day will be celebrated as a second Diwali.

September 16, 2014

Tag: Android one

Specification

Lava Pixel V1

Specs

Micromax Canvas A1