Tag: Android one

The Android One Trio is Here! Meet Canvas A1, Sparkle V And Dream Uno

So, we have waited long for the Android One devices. The phones were announced at the Google I/O this year, and they are finally here for the world to see. Today Google launched the three phones that it had announced previously.

The Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V And Spice Dream Uno is the trio that will begin the big Android One experiment. The phones are presently only available online and will be in stores from next month. They went on sale at 3.30PM today.

Canvas win has a recognizable camera design which is the best amongst competitors

As mentioned earlier, Android One is Google providing standard specifications to OEM’s so that they can provide those features to low-cost devices directly. These devices come with the latest Android operating system, i.e., KitKat 4.4. They all have similar specs and are different only in the way they are designed. Out of these three devices, Micromax gets the pole position on the designing front. The Canvas A1 has a beautiful wooden-like platform for the main camera on the back of the device.

Karbonn Sparkle V comes in many color options.

All these devices have a 4.5 inch FWVGA (854 x 480 Pixels) displays and are powered by a 1700 mAh battery. The processor on the devices is a MediaTek SoC with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and Mali 400 GPU paired with 1GB of RAM. On the back, the devices have a 5 MP camera with LED Flash. For selfie convenience, the phone provides a 2 MP camera.

It can be observed that the specifications on these devices seem limited in comparison to devices like the Moto E and the Redmi 1S. The advantage these devices have is automatic updates from Google, which keep them up-to-date. This can be a great device for people wanting a stock Android experience.

The companies have chosen different online retail partners for their devices. While Micromax chose Amazon as their exclusive Android One partner, Spice and Karbonn chose Flipkart and Snapdeal respectively. You can expect some competition amongst these e-tail giants too.

This is just the beginning for Android One. Google plans to involve new partners. It has announced that Acer, Alcatel, ASUS, HTC, Intex, Lava, Lenovo, Panasonic and Xolo will soon be launching smartphones under the Android One program.

These phones are pocket friendly and will encourage others to make similar devices

On the price front, the Karbonn Sparkle V is priced at Rs.6399. The Micromax Canvas gets a price tag of Rs. 6499, while the Spice Dream Uno is the cheapest with a tag of Rs. 6299.

As expected, the phones come with 6-month free update and app download package from Airtel. In a press statement, the Chief Product Officer of Bharti Airtel, Anand Chandrasekaran said, “Android One customers on Airtel will be able to stay updated on the latest Android version and update all their apps at no additional data charges. Customers can enjoy 100 MB of data per month for 6 months for software updates and 200 MB per month for 6 months for app downloads and updates on the first prepaid active Airtel SIM inserted in the Android One device.”

The phones come with 6 month data plans from Airtel

Overall, the Android One line of devices seem like Google’s direct link to the lower-end consumers. The biggest issue with 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.

It will be interesting to see how this experiment pans out in India as Google intends to expand the initiative to Indonesia, Philippines and other South Asian countries by the end of 2014. It also plans to take to more countries in 2015. It seems the end of woes of lower-end Android customers is close to being over.

September 15, 2014
First Android One Phone, The Karbonn Sparkle V Launched For Rs. 6399

Google has unveiled the first Android One phone in India. The phone will come from the Indian Phone company, Karbonn and will be called the Sparkle V.

The Karbonn Sparkle V is a Dual Sim phone. It comes with Android Kitkat 4.4 out of the box. It has a 4.5 inch FWVGA (480×854) display. The device carries 1 GB RAM and is powered by a 1700 mAh battery.

The internal memory on the device is 4 GB and is expandable up to 32 GB. Sparkle V has a 5 Megapixel camera on the back and a 2 MP camera on the front. It also comes with sensors such as G-Sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor, E-Compass and Gyro Sensor.

The phone is future proof as it will automatically update to the next available version of operating system. The makers claim that the phone is capable of handling HD games and provides smooth multi-tasking ability. The phone offers users a variety of applications and features which are pre-loaded in the phone.

The device is priced at Rs. 6399 and is available exclusively on Snapdeal.

September 15, 2014
How Android One Plans to Improve the Future of Budget Smartphones

Android One is an initiative by Google to bring a standard Android experience across all Android devices. They want to decrease the burden of R&D on small smartphone companies by providing them with standard hardware options for their devices.

Google has been bringing its devices in partnership with various companies. For its Nexus lineup of devices Google had partnered with the likes of Samsung, LG, Asus and others. Now for its affordable line-up of devices the company will be partnering with some prominent Indian brands such as Micromax, Karbon and Spice. But how does this matter to the average smartphone buyer? Well, here is how.

1. Quality Control

Through this project Google can make sure the end customer is getting the same experience that it had intended. The phones will be marketed at a price of Rs.6000 but will not be light on features as it will have Google approved hardware.

2. Specifications

The phones are expected to feature the standard set of features such dual-core chip, 5MP camera, removable SD card, 4.5 inch display and Media Tek processor. Further specs will be cleared after the launch.

3. Full Android Experience

Services such as Google Play are absent from some low-cost devices which make it hard for users to get access to important services. With Android One, this problem goes out of the window. Google will ensure full functionality of these devices.

4. Updates

Android updates are a giant pain. The large variation of devices makes it difficult to provide updates for each specific phone. The Android One phones are expected to get regular updates. The updates will help fix various bugs that diminished the performance of the devices over time.

5. Free Data Services

Google says that it has partnered with networks to provide free access to updates. It means that the users wouldn’t have to wait for access to Wi-Fi hotspots to get system updates. How this works, would be made clear at the launch.

If the Android One devices are successful, Google will be able to easily maintain its lead in the mobile OS game. Android has already percolated to various devices. Google can concentrate on making Android more desirable on device apart from smartphones, thereby giving a standard, recognizable operating system that will bring an ease in dealing with multiple devices.

There is a lot hanging on the success of Android One. The initiative has already attracted a lot of attention from the competitors. The launch today will clear if Google’s latest experiment is appreciable or just a marketing gimmick. Keep checking this spot for more.

September 15, 2014
Get Ready for Low-Cost Smartphones, Google Set to Launch Android One Today

Google will uncover the first of its series of budget smartphones under the much anticipated Android One today. This initiative gives a key set of references for hardwares to help phone manufacturers make minimal cost smartphones. The phones will be unveiled by Sundar Pichai, Google’s SVP of Android, Chrome & Apps in New Delhi.

Google is expected to launch a range of Android One smartphones, mostly priced under Rs 6,000, via domestic online stores. These have been developed in partnership with local mobile phone manufacturers such as Micromax, Karbonn and Spice. These smartphones are expected to be loaded with top-end features such as dual core chip, 5 MP camera and 4.5-inch display.

Indian tech market has been ruled by budget friendly and value for money devices. The company first unveiled the Android one initiative in June this year at Google’s annual I/O conference as a move to take the platform to markets where low-priced phones with fewer features and less memory are in high demand.

By modifying the working framework, some programming and packaging it with Google’s own service, its web search tool, Android One will help scale up the business for Google.

Android One is tipped to be a game changer in the smartphone market, delivering a better experience to users. The race to make the least expensive smartphone pressed with specs is just going to get bigger as more companies are looking at the budget segment of the Indian market.

September 15, 2014
Google May Introduce Android One in India on 15th September

During Google I/O this year, Google announced an initiative that will help bring better user experience in the lower end price bracket. It was called Android One. Now it seems Google is ready to kickstart the initiative and might launch it in India soon.

Google has sent out the invites for an event on Monday, September 15th which only talks about “an exciting announcement” from the company but doesn’t give out more details. It is speculated that it most probably will be the Android One announcement.

The Android One initiative was taken by Google to boost the smartphone adoption rate in emerging markets. This will also be helpful for Google to expand the user base of Android in India. It will also give a better user experience, close to what Android had hoped for and which got lost in a whole array of sub-standard hardware.

Through this initiative, Google will send out a standardized list for affordable phones to the mobile companies. The idea is to prevent heavy expenses for creating a new phone to smaller companies. Currently, Google is working with Micromax, Karbonn and Spice in India for these phones. The company intends to keep the cost of phones under this banner, under $100.

With Android One Google wants to bring a Standard User experience throughout Android Ecosystem

During his presentation at Google I/O, senior Vice President of Android, Sundar Pichai said, “I’ve been using this phone for a while, and it is really good,” Pichai said on stage. “When I go back home to India and other countries like that, it is exciting to see the impact phones have on people’s lives, but it’s disappointing that only less than 10 percent of the population has access to smartphones. We want to change that.”

This is a good initiative from Google especially at a time when companies like Intex and Spice are bringing in with the Firefox OS, which intends to bring the smartphone experience to the lowest mobile segment. Also, the Android market is extremely segmented, lot of phones running older versions of Android can be found in the market. With Android One, Google will be able to make devices that would be easily updatable. Even though, the initiative is inspired by business motives it will directly help a lot of folks to get connected to the information age. This is an appreciable step from Google.

September 2, 2014
Google To Unleash Android One in India This October

Google’s plans that were announced this year at Google I/O are finally unfolding and creating a stir. Recently, Google came up with new Chromecast 1.7 update which now allows users to display their Android homescreens on a Chromecast-connected TV and lets you use any application on your television. And now, Google is set to launch the first Android One smartphone in October this year in India.

They’ve planned a strategic launch around the Diwali season, and it has also been said that the company is planning a 100 Crore investment on marketing and advertising.

Google is aiming big with these Android One devices, estimating a reach up to 5 billion people in emerging markets. They said that the handsets will be updated directly by Google. The all rounder technology giant will also provide hardware and software reference points, while manufacturers will be able to put in their own apps in the devices.

Back in June at the I/O 2014, Google announced Micromax will be the first one to release an Android One device which will be priced at $100. The reports are also saying that the much talked about Micromax Android One device will be available exclusively on Flipkart.

Google added that the device will have a 4.5 inch display screen, expandable memory, dual sim capabilities and integrated FM Radio. The Android One devices will come with Play Auto Installs, that tells users which apps are recommended for his smartphone.

The Economic Times reported that Google has also roped in Indian low-cost smartphone maker Celkon Mobiles and Intex Technologies is also in talks with Google for a similar partnership.

July 19, 2014