While there are plenty of affordable Android smartphones around, if you were hoping for phones that would be event cheaper and would have Google’s backing and blessing, Android One is probably what you’re after. The initiative was announced earlier this year during Google I/O 2014 and true to Google’s word, it looks like Google’s Android One devices have been officially launched.
The event has kicked off in India where the initiative will begin. Google also revealed during the event that they will be collaborating with local Indian vendors such as Micromax, Karbonn Mobiles, and Spice to create entry-level smartphones that will come with a near-stock Android experience, which we guess sounds like Google’s Nexus handsets, except aimed for developing markets.
So what kind of devices are we looking at? Well actually yesterday we caught our first glimpse of the Spice Dream Uno. The handset will feature a 4.5-inch FWVGA display with a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor under the hood. It will also come with 1GB of RAM, 4GB of onboard storage, support for microSD cards, dual SIM connectivity, a 5MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP front-facing camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, and a 1,700mAh battery.
Karbonn’s Sparkle V Red and Micromax’s Canvas A1 are also expected to feature the same specs, although Karbonn’s smartphone will be the cheapest of the bunch with a price tag of Rs. 6,399. Like we said these aren’t the first budget Android smartphones in the market, but with prices around $100, they are certainly pretty compelling especially with a stock Android experience.
Filed in . Read more about Android One and Google.