Google is one of the major reasons why smartphones are becoming cheaper. After the Moto E entered the market with the pricing of $129, Google now has announced the partnership with Micromax, an Indian smartphone company to announce the $100 handset and this is destined to shake the market, and to reach more and more number of users.
Last year, the number of smartphone subscribers was 1.9 billion, and it could be around 5.9 billion in total in the next five years. Google wants to make sure they hold the same or even a higher market share with the Android OS-based smartphones, and thus, comes the budget phone idea.
According to Google’s Android thinktank head Sundar Pichai, the team is working with Micromax on this device which although might or might not run the latest Android OS, it would be having the stock Android ROM and this would not have any bloatware apps from the carrier or OEM. One of the reasons why Nexus phones came into existence was the freedom for the users with storage, and have no bloatware in the phone. That is what Google is going to do in this $100 phone with Micromax.
Called as Android One, the new Android experience would give the users a Stock Android ROM, Play Auto-installs and Automatic Updates, and the device would have nothing else than the removable memory cards. The first phone in this series, would be from Micromax and it is going to have a 4.5-inch screen, it would be a Dual-SIM device and will come with FM Radio and the MicroSD card slot.
Not that there are no phones in the budget range, but the ones which are available in India for a price of below Rs. 7000 come with the bloatware and they don’t give the actual Android experience which a user expects. Android One is something Google wants to bring into the low-cost devices. The announcement also said that apart from Micromax, two other Indian companies Karbonn and Spice are going to be the Android One Partners. Pretty excited we are, for these budget devices. Aren’t you?
