The real barrier is not the cost the device but the data costs and availability. But that's not the point is it , Google just wants to keep it's services on Indian devices and protect it's monopoly, everything else is just a way to spin it. The cost of the devices is not that great anyway for India and not even close to cheap considering that the very low end smartphones are at 30$. Not an ideal start and things would need to get a lot better than this. On the upside Google does need to support Asian SoC makers better and this is not a bad start.
your forgetting these are feature phones that have FM/AM radio. People will buy them and listen to the radio, and browse the web when they get close to a wifi hotspot to check email and play games/apps..
Google still wins because they are using their services. Not everyone will buy these and buy voice/data plans.
I agree people will listen to fm/am radio, but for a market like India, almost every one will rely on voice and data as for most it will be a phone first and then a internet access device. Do note wifi hotspots are not really common in India.
The market they are targeting at times wont have a computer at home much less a computer with wifi connection. For these guys most time they will side load the apk, run what they need but mostly in offline mode rather than always online mode.
I don't agree. Google is not in the business of distributing data connections. I think it is doing right by providing a good experience at a lower price and fixing some of the problem that were existing in the system. There is a large population that would love to get a good device at a low price. The data cost in India is one of the lowest anywhere. You are not looking at more than about 5-10 dollars a month for a small data cap. They are also solving the updates conundrum by getting the data providers to push updates for free. I think this looks like a fantastic start.
No, this will not provide a smartphone for someone who cannot afford food on a constant basis, but this may be for a large lower income group that is out of abject poverty.
Its easy for you to live in US or something and make a comment but in countries like India even a $ equates to 60 RS which is a big amount for us or at least the crowd at which these smartphones are targeted at. The free internet connection is also limited to one carrier which is Airtel and Airtel is like the Verizon of US only the rich can afford being on Airtel. The free data limit also only 200 mb. Plus the hardware is not that great either. The Xiaomi Redmi 1S is better than any Android One device on the market right now. Plus Google is not the first one to do this. Companies like Nokia have sold Nokia Lumia 520 at literal losses in India. Plus data related incentives are nothing new. The entire Nokia X line has got better data incentives when launched in India. What Google is doing now has been done by others for a long time now.Its just that people like you in US barely keep their eyes open and appreciate what Nokia had been doing until they got sold.Do you really think the poor fellow bothers about those free software updates?NO.But that would help Google in reducing fragmentation a bit. Amazing to see people get so excited about Android One when other s like Nokia have been doing the same for years now.
So it is possible that the Indian market may not think the android one is a step in the right direction, as the updates are never valued in the system. My bet is that android one would be better optimized for the hardware and the updates would patch the software vulnerabilities. But my bets could be wrong.
True that every rupee would be important for the millions below poverty line, but the other millions could benefit from this or continued experimentations such as these. I don't think we could have predicted the impact of regular cell phones 15 years back, and we may be in the same instance with smartphones. With 150 INR (~2.75USD) or so for a gig of data, it certainly is one of the cheapest data markets in the world, albeit with its own networking challenges.
Between Xiaomi, Nokia and Google, I may trust the latter two because of possible push for updates. As for Nokia, their lower end phones are running an old OS that may be on its way out. Lumina series (WIndows) starts around the same price, and is good value for the OS maturity. But it is difficult to argue with the value proposition of Xiaomi, Oppo, or One+. Besides, it is Google on all these three, and I guess Google has done enough even without Android 1 ;).
This is off topic but I'm looking to drop iPhone and move to Windows or Android in the price point (read $100 or less) but in the US. I'm assuming I can't get this phone in the US. What are the best Windows or Android phones since this is supposed to fit that price point but available in America? I have ATT and don't really want to sign another 2 year as I'm contract free at the moment. I use my current iPhone 4 for Audiobooks, mp3, Netflix, Teamviewer, other RDP apps, HBO Go, Amazon Instant, Evernote, Dropbox and so on...Any ideas are greatly appreciated.
The moto E goes for $119 amazon, but I'd strongly suggest getting the current generation Moto G, for 159 if you can afford it, as its a vastly superior product, but if not, the Moto E will get the job done.
Lumia 520 (ATT) costs $49.99 at Microsoft Store runs WP8.1 (if bought new). Most of the Tier-I apps are available and you will miss many Tier-II apps and some Tier-I apps. For its price its performs smooth and is a clean device in many respects.
Thanks. I've been looking at either the 520 or 635 and have also been reading about the new 730/735. I've only seen good things about the 520 and I'll have to do some reading on what apps I may miss and what tier I is vs tier II.
The cheapest way is China with no doubt. Something like the Moto G goes even bellow 100$. Or you have things like the ZTE Nubia Z7 Mini with 5 inch 1080p, Snapdragon 801 at 244$ that even puts the Nexus to shame. Or Iuni U3 with 1440p 5.5 inch screen at 325$. There are lots of sites that ship worldwide but there is a price premium, still plenty cheap. Ofc LTE is just starting in China so very few have LTE ,if that matters, and ofc you need to make sure the device has the bands you need. There are hundreds of devices and plenty with great value, ofc you need to research and find the device you need and a decent retailer. BUT i would wait , A53 and A57 cores are starting to show up and soon 20nm too. Those are big steps forward and if you can wait it would be preferable.
The updates will be coming straight from Google, so I would expect similar standard that applies for Nexus devices, so updates for at least 18 month. Hopefully longer, but I wouldn't buy it expecting it.
Phones getting updated is supposed to be one of the big features of Android One, so it'll do better than most phones. Also, new Motorola devices are also great with updates, so I would look into them. In the US, Amazon has good prices on them (the G and the E), but I don't know about availability outside of Canada and the US, and doubt you are from Canada.
Too bad it's quad core. I'd love a soc maker to put out a two core a17/a7 chip. Yeah, only two cores, but I'd provide a great balance of very high performance and low battery. Hmm, maybe an a17 + 2 a7... GTS FTW!!!
A17 still requires too big a die and you can't fit them in this price range (yet). This is firmly A5-A7 category.
However, Mediatek does have A17/A7 bit.LITTLE processors, and Google mentioned that there will be other Android One devices both below and above this initial price range, so I wouldn't be surprised if we see something like that in an upper model Android One next year.
Look at a Used Moto X from Gazelle ebay store! $135 good condition. If only these countries had access to used midranged phones, they could get so much more for their money.
Used stuff markets are already gaining traction in India. I was there last week, there were plenty of billboards and TV adverts for OLX and Quikr, two domestic services for selling and buying used stuff.
All the people recommending sub $100 chinese phones probably haven't fought against one.
I bought one for my grandma for 80€, heavily recommended in the forums, and that's the biggest pile of horseshit I've ever handled.
There's a huge effort behind trying to make one of those work like a non-chinese person would expect. Flashing, adding google apps, dealing with chinese recovery menus...
Plus, the damn thing died in 1 year. Now go and try to get it repaired. It went straight to the thrash and got a Moto G (No moto E at that time)
For Android One you pay $20-40 over the chinese hardware and get Android L out of the box and direct support from google. Best deal ever if you ask me.
Hates gonna hatin' if you ask me, but this is probable a game changer in India.
The Chinese phones that are sold in India don't have Chinese apps and all the crap you mentioned. They also have Gapps and basic apps pre-installed. These phones are tailored to India and usually sold re-branded with different names. I think you were misinformed or couldn't do proper research on what to buy. I feel sorry that you are incompetent.
Do you really think Android One phones will be so much different from all of the chinese phones available today for similar or lower price points ? Nope. They will be pretty much the same but with Google support.
So why do Google pull out all sorts of reasons not to include user replaceable batteries and SD slots in their Nexus phones? What makes those things very bad on Nexus but OK to include in the ONE range?
The fact that OS updates will come from Google is a super important point. That's how it needs to be done...getting stuff from the carrier or OEM just makes no sense.
When I switched my Nokia 928 from getting updates from Verizon to getting them from Microsoft directly, it turned out I was FOUR major OS revisions behind! It feels like a different phone almost.
Just want to bring the perspective of a person living in India. 6000/- for a full featured smartphone like Android one is a real value for money. Other cheaper smartphones in Indian market uses very old versions of android like Icecream Sandwich and Gingerbread, and don't offer any sort of upgrades including security patches. Even Moto E can't meet this price point and feature set. The best thing is 20 month update promise from Google. I think this initiative from Google is in the right direction for a market like India.
I, for one, think that this can make a huge difference, provided Google gets it right. You can't really compare it with $100 Chinese phones; most of them run very unoptimized ROMS and plagued with poor touch response, etc. With Google handling the ROMS on Android One, you can expect a certain level of performance (and timely support). Is $100 a bit too much for the common person in India? Well maybe yes, but what you are getting with Android One is absolutely worth it.
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jjj - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
The real barrier is not the cost the device but the data costs and availability. But that's not the point is it , Google just wants to keep it's services on Indian devices and protect it's monopoly, everything else is just a way to spin it.The cost of the devices is not that great anyway for India and not even close to cheap considering that the very low end smartphones are at 30$.
Not an ideal start and things would need to get a lot better than this.
On the upside Google does need to support Asian SoC makers better and this is not a bad start.
junky77 - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
totally agree about the motivesAnd yes, such devices were available for less even a year ago, at least from a hardware stand of point.
I hope, but I don't think, that we'll be a society that is built on honesty (which google/others obviosuly not) and brotherhood
Morawka - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
your forgetting these are feature phones that have FM/AM radio. People will buy them and listen to the radio, and browse the web when they get close to a wifi hotspot to check email and play games/apps..Google still wins because they are using their services. Not everyone will buy these and buy voice/data plans.
bitsandpieces - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
I agree people will listen to fm/am radio, but for a market like India, almost every one will rely on voice and data as for most it will be a phone first and then a internet access device. Do note wifi hotspots are not really common in India.The market they are targeting at times wont have a computer at home much less a computer with wifi connection. For these guys most time they will side load the apk, run what they need but mostly in offline mode rather than always online mode.
craighamilton - Saturday, December 6, 2014 - link
Well, probably the manufacturer sees this as a start of better technology. /craig from http://www.topreport.org/phones/wantthefun - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
I don't agree. Google is not in the business of distributing data connections. I think it is doing right by providing a good experience at a lower price and fixing some of the problem that were existing in the system. There is a large population that would love to get a good device at a low price. The data cost in India is one of the lowest anywhere. You are not looking at more than about 5-10 dollars a month for a small data cap. They are also solving the updates conundrum by getting the data providers to push updates for free. I think this looks like a fantastic start.No, this will not provide a smartphone for someone who cannot afford food on a constant basis, but this may be for a large lower income group that is out of abject poverty.
Rama TT - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
Its easy for you to live in US or something and make a comment but in countries like India even a $ equates to 60 RS which is a big amount for us or at least the crowd at which these smartphones are targeted at. The free internet connection is also limited to one carrier which is Airtel and Airtel is like the Verizon of US only the rich can afford being on Airtel. The free data limit also only 200 mb. Plus the hardware is not that great either. The Xiaomi Redmi 1S is better than any Android One device on the market right now. Plus Google is not the first one to do this. Companies like Nokia have sold Nokia Lumia 520 at literal losses in India. Plus data related incentives are nothing new. The entire Nokia X line has got better data incentives when launched in India. What Google is doing now has been done by others for a long time now.Its just that people like you in US barely keep their eyes open and appreciate what Nokia had been doing until they got sold.Do you really think the poor fellow bothers about those free software updates?NO.But that would help Google in reducing fragmentation a bit. Amazing to see people get so excited about Android One when other s like Nokia have been doing the same for years now.wantthefun - Friday, September 19, 2014 - link
So it is possible that the Indian market may not think the android one is a step in the right direction, as the updates are never valued in the system. My bet is that android one would be better optimized for the hardware and the updates would patch the software vulnerabilities. But my bets could be wrong.True that every rupee would be important for the millions below poverty line, but the other millions could benefit from this or continued experimentations such as these. I don't think we could have predicted the impact of regular cell phones 15 years back, and we may be in the same instance with smartphones. With 150 INR (~2.75USD) or so for a gig of data, it certainly is one of the cheapest data markets in the world, albeit with its own networking challenges.
Between Xiaomi, Nokia and Google, I may trust the latter two because of possible push for updates. As for Nokia, their lower end phones are running an old OS that may be on its way out. Lumina series (WIndows) starts around the same price, and is good value for the OS maturity. But it is difficult to argue with the value proposition of Xiaomi, Oppo, or One+. Besides, it is Google on all these three, and I guess Google has done enough even without Android 1 ;).
Rama TT - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
101% rightlaytoncy - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
This is off topic but I'm looking to drop iPhone and move to Windows or Android in the price point (read $100 or less) but in the US. I'm assuming I can't get this phone in the US. What are the best Windows or Android phones since this is supposed to fit that price point but available in America? I have ATT and don't really want to sign another 2 year as I'm contract free at the moment. I use my current iPhone 4 for Audiobooks, mp3, Netflix, Teamviewer, other RDP apps, HBO Go, Amazon Instant, Evernote, Dropbox and so on...Any ideas are greatly appreciated.tuxRoller - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Moto g. It's more than $100, but still the cheapest phone I know of that's good given your criteria.tuxRoller - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Sorry, make that the moto e.tuxRoller - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
And it's $129, no contract. If you're interested in this phone keep in mind they just released a new version that had some nice updates iirc.laytoncy - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Thanks!ssj4Gogeta - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Keep in mind Moto E doesn't have a front camera, so no video calls. Moto G has a faster processor, a front camera and a higher resolution display.laytoncy - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
I saw that and to get the E in 4G it goes up in price.Nimer55 - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
The moto E goes for $119 amazon, but I'd strongly suggest getting the current generation Moto G, for 159 if you can afford it, as its a vastly superior product, but if not, the Moto E will get the job done.http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-Global-Unlocke...
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-Global-Unlocke...
(I don't get any sort of benefit from you clicking those links, I just included them because I thought it would make it easier for you)
laytoncy - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Thanks for the reply. I'll take a look at those.sremai - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Lumia 520 (ATT) costs $49.99 at Microsoft Store runs WP8.1 (if bought new). Most of the Tier-I apps are available and you will miss many Tier-II apps and some Tier-I apps. For its price its performs smooth and is a clean device in many respects.laytoncy - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Thanks. I've been looking at either the 520 or 635 and have also been reading about the new 730/735. I've only seen good things about the 520 and I'll have to do some reading on what apps I may miss and what tier I is vs tier II.jjj - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
The cheapest way is China with no doubt.Something like the Moto G goes even bellow 100$.
Or you have things like the ZTE Nubia Z7 Mini with 5 inch 1080p, Snapdragon 801 at 244$ that even puts the Nexus to shame.
Or Iuni U3 with 1440p 5.5 inch screen at 325$.
There are lots of sites that ship worldwide but there is a price premium, still plenty cheap.
Ofc LTE is just starting in China so very few have LTE ,if that matters, and ofc you need to make sure the device has the bands you need.
There are hundreds of devices and plenty with great value, ofc you need to research and find the device you need and a decent retailer.
BUT i would wait , A53 and A57 cores are starting to show up and soon 20nm too. Those are big steps forward and if you can wait it would be preferable.
Pissedoffyouth - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
I have a ThL phone with their quad core A7 chip.I love the idea of Google being behind this, as long as mediatek release sources. My phones stuck on 4.2 because they don't release sources.
Do you know if these phones will? If they are, they are even better value in the long term.
Imagine being stuck on 4.3 on your Note 3.
Nimer55 - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
The updates will be coming straight from Google, so I would expect similar standard that applies for Nexus devices, so updates for at least 18 month. Hopefully longer, but I wouldn't buy it expecting it.Phones getting updated is supposed to be one of the big features of Android One, so it'll do better than most phones. Also, new Motorola devices are also great with updates, so I would look into them. In the US, Amazon has good prices on them (the G and the E), but I don't know about availability outside of Canada and the US, and doubt you are from Canada.
Pissedoffyouth - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
I'm buying a note 3 very soon as I want support as long as possible.tuxRoller - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Too bad it's quad core. I'd love a soc maker to put out a two core a17/a7 chip. Yeah, only two cores, but I'd provide a great balance of very high performance and low battery. Hmm, maybe an a17 + 2 a7...GTS FTW!!!
aryonoco - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
A17 still requires too big a die and you can't fit them in this price range (yet). This is firmly A5-A7 category.However, Mediatek does have A17/A7 bit.LITTLE processors, and Google mentioned that there will be other Android One devices both below and above this initial price range, so I wouldn't be surprised if we see something like that in an upper model Android One next year.
anshu87 - Monday, September 15, 2014 - link
Google has guaranteed 2 YEARS worth of updates for Android One devices.Morawka - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
Look at a Used Moto X from Gazelle ebay store! $135 good condition. If only these countries had access to used midranged phones, they could get so much more for their money.This is a great value tho,
r3loaded - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
Used stuff markets are already gaining traction in India. I was there last week, there were plenty of billboards and TV adverts for OLX and Quikr, two domestic services for selling and buying used stuff.SirPerro - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
All the people recommending sub $100 chinese phones probably haven't fought against one.I bought one for my grandma for 80€, heavily recommended in the forums, and that's the biggest pile of horseshit I've ever handled.
There's a huge effort behind trying to make one of those work like a non-chinese person would expect. Flashing, adding google apps, dealing with chinese recovery menus...
Plus, the damn thing died in 1 year. Now go and try to get it repaired. It went straight to the thrash and got a Moto G (No moto E at that time)
For Android One you pay $20-40 over the chinese hardware and get Android L out of the box and direct support from google. Best deal ever if you ask me.
Hates gonna hatin' if you ask me, but this is probable a game changer in India.
saliti - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
The Chinese phones that are sold in India don't have Chinese apps and all the crap you mentioned. They also have Gapps and basic apps pre-installed. These phones are tailored to India and usually sold re-branded with different names. I think you were misinformed or couldn't do proper research on what to buy. I feel sorry that you are incompetent.hojnikb - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
Do you really think Android One phones will be so much different from all of the chinese phones available today for similar or lower price points ? Nope. They will be pretty much the same but with Google support.semo - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
So why do Google pull out all sorts of reasons not to include user replaceable batteries and SD slots in their Nexus phones? What makes those things very bad on Nexus but OK to include in the ONE range?Wolfpup - Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - link
The fact that OS updates will come from Google is a super important point. That's how it needs to be done...getting stuff from the carrier or OEM just makes no sense.When I switched my Nokia 928 from getting updates from Verizon to getting them from Microsoft directly, it turned out I was FOUR major OS revisions behind! It feels like a different phone almost.
aravindajju - Thursday, September 18, 2014 - link
Just want to bring the perspective of a person living in India. 6000/- for a full featured smartphone like Android one is a real value for money. Other cheaper smartphones in Indian market uses very old versions of android like Icecream Sandwich and Gingerbread, and don't offer any sort of upgrades including security patches. Even Moto E can't meet this price point and feature set. The best thing is 20 month update promise from Google. I think this initiative from Google is in the right direction for a market like India.kamranki - Saturday, September 20, 2014 - link
I, for one, think that this can make a huge difference, provided Google gets it right. You can't really compare it with $100 Chinese phones; most of them run very unoptimized ROMS and plagued with poor touch response, etc. With Google handling the ROMS on Android One, you can expect a certain level of performance (and timely support). Is $100 a bit too much for the common person in India? Well maybe yes, but what you are getting with Android One is absolutely worth it.Win-win situation if you ask me.
suzi002 - Thursday, October 2, 2014 - link
Apart from rich people, we have huge population who can not afford to buy costly smartphones and AndroidOne is a great initiative.Suzi
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