Google reveals the first ultra-cheap Android One smartphones

[techbeck]

Google has unveiled the first smartphones to run on its Android One platform, a standard designed to help push affordable smartphones in the developing world. The initiative kicks off in India, where Micromax, Spice, and Karbonn are all selling phones with 4.5-inch screens, 1GB of RAM, 5-megapixel main and 2-megapixel front cameras, 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processors, dual-SIM slots, microSD expandable storage, and FM radios.

 

Android One devices will ship with support for more languages, including Hindi, and feature more local publications in Google Play Newsstand. Google is also making a special version of YouTube available which will allow Indian users to download videos and re-watch them multiple times without incurring excessive data charges. The first phones are expected to retail for 6399 rupees ($105).

 

Similarly inexpensive smartphones have been around for a while, but Android One represents a concerted effort from Google to put its stamp on the user experience. These phones will all run close-to-stock Android without heavy manufacturer customizations, and Google will be able to push software updates itself. This should avoid the situation that arose a few years ago in other parts of the world, where low-powered phones were stuck on early versions of Android without any hope of an update, leaving customers unable to access new apps and services. Google has adopted a similar strategy at the higher ends of the market with its Nexus and Google Play edition devices that run stock Android.

 

Indian customers on carrier Airtel will be able to download software updates, including the upcoming Android L release, for the first six months of ownership. Google and Airtel are also offering 200MB of data a month on top of the regular cap for downloading apps from the Play store.

 

More....

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/15/6151329/first-android-one-smartphones-announced

[tsupersonic]

MediaTek? Blech! They should've used a Qualcomm variant...

[tiagosilva29]

USD$105 is cheap? That's like a third of my monthly income.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

USD$105 is cheap? That's like a third of my monthly income.

 

 

depends on where you live, right.   round here people are paying that per day, easily.  before any extra stuff like entertainment and clothes too.

 

mortgage + utilities + other bills....   if you have a house to pay mortgage for... and a family to support.   100 per day is very average.

 

 

but in other places its real money!     i was always entertaining idea of saving some money and moving to other country to live like a king for a while.