The not-so-successful stint in India hasn’t deterred Google from taking its Android One program to more countries. The scheme was launched in India a few months back, and promised decent hardware at super-budget prices, along with direct software updates from Google. However, we felt it was a year late; companies like Xiaomi, Motorola, etc. had already grabbed significant market share by the time Android One launched in India.
Anyway, the news here is that Android One is now official in more of the Indian sub-continent, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. All of these countries happen to be developing markets like India, and with companies like Xiaomi yet to make it to these markets, Google (and respective OEMs) have a much better chance at making Android One big.
To remind you of Android One specifications, there’s a 4.5-inch FWGA display, 1GB RAM, quad-core MT6582 processor, and dual SIM support. Google currently has three OEMs in its kitty for the Android One program, which are Karbonn, Spice and Micromax — all of which are domestic Indian heavyweights. The three companies make Android One phones with literally the same specifications, and the phones are sold at slightly different prices.
Android One: All you need to know
For the new markets, Symphony Mobile will be joining the existing trio of OEMs. You can expect Google to bring Android One to other developing markets such as Pakistan and Indonesia in the coming months. Also, there’s a few OEMs such as Asus waiting to join the league of Android One.
