Android One is Google's answer to ever growing Android smartphone users, especially those who live in developing countries. But one thing's for sure, they wanted everyone to taste the feeling of receiving latest updates on their Android devices.
BEGINNINGS
Launched by Google's senior VP, Sundar Pichai. It has been quoted that the initiative is targeted for those people who are going to buy their first smartphone and those who are living in developing countries like India, Philippines and Indonesia.
"This is one of the biggest launches we've done anywhere, not just in India, Philippines and Indonesia. For us, Android One was a journey to try and rich the next 5 billion people" - Sundar Pichai
He also stated that all Android One devices share the same hardware because all of the are based on a single reference platform. Listed products are expected to increase as Google expands the initiative to more territories.
DESCRIPTION
All Android One devices run on the same stock Android software without any manufacturer installed bloatwares. Software updates are handled by Google to ensure that latest updates would arrive from time to time. Google also stated that they made their own design reference so that OEM's would just manufacture the smartphones, thus making all Android One devices look similar to each other.
The first batch of Android One devices run on MediaTek's MT6582 chipset (SOC) which uses a quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor partnered with a dual-core ARM Mali-400 GPU. Not the most powerful hardware but Google envisions that more powerful devices would come out in the near future. It is said that Android Lollipop is designed for those device who has lower-end specs so assuming that it runs Android Lollipop out of the box, then smooth and flawless experience is expected.
Android One is first rolled-out in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia and other South-east Asian territories, which are the primary target of the initiative. The first batch of Android One devices are manufactured by Spice, Karbonn and Micromax which are all based on India. Other companies also manufactured them on their respective country of origin.
Google promised that they will support these devices for 2 years thus receiving upcoming updates like the rumored Android M.
But for now, here is the list of Android One devices :
(As what I have said, all of them shared the same hardware with the only difference being the internal storage which varies on each device)
INDIA
- Micromax Canvas A1
- Karbonn Sparkle V
- Spice Dream Uno
(all of them are made available after the initial launch of Android One in India)
PHILIPPINES
- MyPhone Uno
- Cherry Mobile One
(made available last month, MyPhone Uno shares the same design with Micromax Canvas A1 while the Cherry Mobile One shares the same design with Symphone Roar A50)
INDONESIA
- Mito Impact
- Evercross One X
- Nexian Journey One
(made available last month)
BANGLADESH
- Symphony Roar A50
(made available last month)
All of them are priced below $100, so for those who want to taste Android Lollipop's goodness and receive latest updates from Google, then this one is the right device for you
(Stay tuned for a preview of one of the devices included on my list)
