Google will help bring high-speed Internet to India’s train stations
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While there are over a billion people in the world who have access to smartphones and the Internet, that still leaves between 5-6 billion people with limited-to-no Internet access – in India alone, there are still one billion people not online, despite the fact that it now has the second largest population of Internet users in the world. As a step to help one of the world’s fastest growing mobile markets get Internet to more of its consumers, Google will help bring high-speed Internet to India’s train stations, announced by CEO Sundar Pichai today. The collaboration between India and Google was announced when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Google’s HQ.
The infrastructure that Google is looking to put in is broadband Internet to provide Wi-Fi in 400 stations across India – 100 of these are expected to be finish by the end of 2016, and even finishing these 100 will provide Internet to 10 million more people everyday as they pass through these stations. With this new infrastructure, the growth of Android One, and the ability for apps like YouTube (and Maps soon) to work offline, India is definitely an area that is going to see even more incredible growth in the near future.
What do you think about Google helping to provide Internet to India? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Google Blog
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Android One arrives in Spain and Portugal in the form of the Aquaris A4.5
If you’ve wondered what has happened with Google’s Android One initiative, wonder no more because Spain and Portugal are the next countries to join the program. Spanish handset maker, bq, is manufacturing the new Android One device on offer, which is called the Aquaris A4.5.
It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box like you would expect from an Android One handset, with firmware updates guaranteed for 24 months from when the device is launched.
Internally, the Aquaris A4.5 shares many of the same features that are consistent throughout the various Android One handsets.
Specifications
- Quantum Color+ 4.5-Inch IPS display with 540 x 960 resolution (244ppi)
- MediaTek MT6735M Quad-core (4 cores @ 1GHz)
- Mali T720P MP1 GPU
- 1GB RAM
- 16GB Internal storage (10.5GB usable)
- MicroSD support (up to 64GB)
- 8MP Rear camera with dual flash and autofocus
- 5MP Front camera with flash
- Dual micro-SIM
- 2G/3G/4G(LTE) connectivity
- Bluetooth 4.0/GPS/WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
- Notification LED/Double Tap/
- Battery: 2,470mAh
- Dimensions: 131.77 x 63.48 x 8.75mm
- Weight: 115 grams
The Aquaris A4.5 can be ordered directly from bq’s online store for €169.90 in Spain and €179.90 in Portugal, with each handset coming with a 3-month subscription to Google Play Music and a frankly staggering 5-year guarantee. What do you think of the Aquaris A4.5? Is it cheap enough to appeal to its target market?
Source: bq
Via: AndroidPolice
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Android One is coming to Europe, starting in Spain and Portugal
One year after its launch in Asia, the Android One program is expanding to Europe.
The first European countries where Android One devices will be sold are Spain and Portugal, where local phone maker BQ will offer the Aquaris A4.5 for €169.9 and €179.9 respectively.
As a second generation Android One smartphone, the Aquaris A4.5 is a notch above the barebones devices the program was initially known for. Don’t expect anything spectacular though, this is still a budget phone through and through. Features include a 4.5-inch 540 x 960 display (245 ppi), a quad-core MT6735M processor from MediaTek, 16 GB of internal storage (10.5 GB free), 1GB of RAM, a 2470 mAh battery, a 8MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera, and LTE.
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The Aquaris A4.5 runs Lollipop 5.1 and Google offers two years of guaranteed updates. In addition, BQ promises a very generous 5-year warranty for the hardware, as well as dedicated support.
Check out the BQ Aquaris A4.5 in the Spanish and Portuguese BQ stores.
At roughly $200, the Aquaris A4.5 is significantly more expensive than Google’s initial promise to offer a quality Android experience for under $100. To be fair, the price is still very good for the European market, and still cheaper than the $260 price tag of the Turkish Android One smartphone (higher tariffs in Turkey may explain that). That said, if you don’t need a pure vanilla Android experience and guaranteed updates, the 3rd generation Moto G offers better specs at a comparable price.
Android One is now available in Southeast Asia, Turkey, and several African countries. With the program’s arrival to Europe, Google seems open to experimenting with Android One in mature markets that are less sensitive to price. For now there is no indication that Android One phones will launch in other European countries (or even North America), but this first step is definitely a positive sign.
As for India, Google admitted that the first batch of Android One phones hasn’t lived up to expectations, and suggested the next generation could be even cheaper, with a “sweet spot” in the Rs. 2,000-3,000 ($30-$47)range.
India’s smartphone market continues to grow with cheap, large phones leading the way
India is a key market for many smartphone manufacturers, but it’s a drastically different landscape compared to places like the US or some other European countries where high-end, premium devices typically account for the bulk of sales. Most India buyers are looking for more affordable devices, which is why smartphones like the Moto G have been so successful in the past, and why we’re seeing Google keep their Android One initiative alive.
Some new research has been released about the shape of India’s smartphone market through the first half of 2015, and it makes those trends even more apparent. The top three phones in India so far have been the Asus ZenFone 2, and YU Yureka, and Samsung’s Galaxy Core Prime. All three of these phones are priced below 20,000 Rs, which is also true for all of the top 10 selling phones in India. Bigger manufacturers, including the likes of Samsung, have completely shifted their focus from the high-end market to the sub 20,000 Rs segment.
Because of how low priced the phones are, it’s also created an overwhelming number of competitors. So far in India this year, the country has seen 857 device launches. 2014 saw roughly 1,100, so if that trend continues, the total number of smartphones launched in India should be about 50% than what was released last year.
A common feature that nearly every phone in India shares is a large screen size. Most phones have a screen size of more than 5-inches, which pretty clearly reflects the global market trend of phones getting bigger and bigger.
Some other interesting bits of information about India’s smartphone market also come from how customers view and purchase devices. Over 30% of device views came from phones that were exclusively sold online, which means customers are scouring the internet for the best possible deal on the best possible phone they can find.
India is clearly an important market for many manufacturers, but it’s also an extremely difficult market to stay competitive in. There are tons and tons of options, and margins will continue to shrink as customers demand bigger, cheaper devices. It’s obviously not a market that most companies can afford to step out of, but it’s hard to believe there’s much money to be made in an environment that promotes racing to the bottom in an ocean of competitors.
source: 91Mobiles
Come comment on this article: India’s smartphone market continues to grow with cheap, large phones leading the way
Google is bringing Android One to six African countries with the new Infinix HOT 2
Android One, Google’s low-budget smartphone initiative that launched late last year, is finally making its way to Africa. Google today announced that it’s launching a new smartphone built by African smartphone manufacturer Infinix in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco. The Lollipop-powered Infinix HOT 2 smartphone will be available in Nigeria at select retail outlets and online through Jumia from today for N17,500 (~$88 USD). The company says the new handset will be made available in the other countries over the next few weeks.
The HOT 2 boasts a quad-core Mediatek processor, 1GB of RAM and dual SIM card support. It will be available in Black, White, Red and Blue color options, with a Gold option also being made available with 2GB of RAM. And like other Android One devices, the HOT 2 runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, and, according to Infinix’s update schedule, is slated to receive the update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow when the software is made official.
See also: The future of Android One may be in sub Rs. 3,000 handsets, says Google
Google is also releasing a more streamlined version of Google Search worldwide that will offer users a faster experience on devices with lower amounts of RAM, such as smartphones with just 512MB. Google says this feature can reduce data usage by up to 90% in some cases, while removing roughly one-third of the time it takes to load results.
The search giant has also announced that it’s extending YouTube offline to Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Egypt within the next few months. This will allow users to store YouTube videos on their devices for up to 48 hours for later watching.
Google expanding Android One to several African nations with the Infinix HOT 2
Google says it will be expanding its Android One initiative to several African countries by launching the Lollipop-based Infinix HOT 2 in these developing nations.
Google says the HOT 2 will be a high quality smartphone among Android One options, saying “like all Android One phones, the HOT 2 combines a high-quality hardware experience with pure Android software.”
The HOT 2 will also be a durable and long-lasting smartphone, operating at peak performance through new software updates.
“The Android One HOT 2 will also receive an update to the next version of Android (according to Infinix’s schedule), and thus stays fast and responsive over time,” Google says.
The device is currently running Android Lollipop, and with its 2GB of RAM, it will no doubt be able to handle the next Android version with ease.
Infix’s HOT 2 is currently available to buy in Nigeria for N17,500 ($88), and further availability will expand to Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco in the next few weeks.
For those that already own a smartphone, Google is helping them get more out of their data by launching a more efficient version of the Google Search app said to work well with smartphones with as little as 512MB of RAM. The new Google Search app will be able to reduce data usage by up to 90% while offering faster page load times.
Finally, Google is expanding YouTube offline to Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Egypt in the next few months, allowing users to store offline videos for up to 48 hours.
source: Google
Come comment on this article: Google expanding Android One to several African nations with the Infinix HOT 2
Google announces Android One availability in six countries in Africa
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Android One was launched last year to increase availability of affordable smartphones to developing regions. While a much needed initiative, Android One has largely flown under the radar, though perhaps that’s the point. The latest news regarding Android One was announced today by Google who is launching the platform in six African nations, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco. To do this, Google has partnered with Infinix, an African manufacturer, to make the Infinix HOT 2 which will be available for N17,500, or around $88 USD.
As you might expect, the hardware specifications of the Infinix HOT 2 aren’t ground breaking, but that would be missing the point – the HOT 2 will have a quad-core MediaTek processor, 1GB RAM, 2GB storage, dual-SIM functionality and will run Android Lollipop 5.1.1. It’s also promised that the HOT 2 will receive Android Marshmallow whenever Infinix rolls out the update. To give some background on exactly how much this region needs cheap, reliable smartphones, Google estimates that 95% of all devices that are accessing the Internet in Nigeria are smartphones. You keep doing you, Android One.
What do you think about Android One becoming available in six African nations? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Android Blog
The post Google announces Android One availability in six countries in Africa appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
The future of Android One may be in sub Rs. 3,000 handsets, says Google
It would probably be fair to say that the Android One program hasn’t quite had the impact that Google was hoping for. Despite offering some rather good hardware at a reasonable price, the low-cost local competition ended up offering better value for money, updates seemed delayed and the second wave of phones never really materialized. According to a recent interview with Rajan Anandan, Google’s managing director for India and Southwest Asia, the initiative is scheduled for some necessarly changes, including the possibility of even cheaper handsets.
Anandan admitted that the program had “not delivered to expectations” so far, amid supply chain issues and phone import shortages from China. Importantly though, he wants to retarget Android One and the Android operating system at the “sweet spot” of India’s cost-conscious market, with smartphones preferably priced between just Rs. 2,000 and 3,000 ($30 – $47), rather than around $100 or greater.
The Lava Pixel V1 launched in India recently at a price of Rs. 11,349 ($175), while the new i-mobile iQ II costs 4,444 THB ($126 USD) in Thailand. However, there are a lot of smartphones at this price point already.
Even lower cost smartphones packed with an up to date Android OS are likely to be a tempting prospect. However, cost is just a small part of Google’s plans to win over more customers in India. The company is facing tough competition from companies designing software that is compatible with some of the slower data connections in the country and Google is still yet to properly cater for locals who don’t speak English as their first language.
“There are several battlegrounds where we are not winning [and] local search is clearly the one where it’s most apparent,” – Rajan Anandan
To combat these issues, Google is looking to invest in a program to bring small local businesses online and develop more products that work with slower data connections. Google recently launched offline versions of YouTube and Maps in India, along with a slimmed down version of its search engine. These ideas may help the company compete with the growing local start-ups, which is important for Google if it wants to be influential when the next billion Indian consumers enter the mobile market.
“10 years from now a billion Indians will be online and when we have a billion Indians online we think that’s going to make a huge difference to the global internet economy.”
This is all part of a long-term plan for Google, which will see the company working with manufacturers to help bring even more affordable and high-quality devices to market over the next few years. Android One could probably use a jump-start to put the project back on track, does this plan sound like a smart idea to you?
Google plans to launch under $50 Android One phones
Google is set to take its low-cost smartphone initiative Android One to yet another level with its plans to launch sub $50 smartphones for the emerging markets.
While not giving way too many details, the search engine giant’s Southeast Asia managing director, Rajan Anandan, revealed that the new wave of Android One smartphones will cost as low as USD50, and a new plan in this direction will be unveiled in the next few weeks.
Launched last year, Android One is a platform that was meant to standardize the low cost smartphone market by bringing decent hardware and latest software to the average user of the developing world. However, the initiative has only met with lukewarm response. So far, less than a million Android One devices have been sold in India by local players such as Micromax, Karbonn and Spice collectively. The project has faced similar disappointment in the other six countries it was launched in.
But Anandan reiterated Google’s commitment to the initiate despite it having “not delivered to expectations.” In addition to significantly reduce the prices of Android One handsets, Google is also working on new apps and services designed to specifically cater to the Indian market. Google has been working on making its services like Google Search, YouTube and Google Maps friendlier for low-bandwidth environments like India for some time now.
Source: Financial Times
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Thailand getting the Android One i-mobile IQ II
Android One phones are still pretty rare to see, but Thailand will be receiving the i-mobile IQ II. This phone comes with a 5-inch 720p display, a 1.2 GHz 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of expandable storage. Also a 2500 mAh battery, 8 MP rear camera and 2 MP front camera, 4G LTE support, and also has dual-SIM functionality.
The phone will ship with stock Lollipop 5.1.1 and will receive updates directly from Google for the next two years. Not flagship killer specs, but for the price of only $126 US (converted from 4,444 THB) it’s not bad at all.
Source: Android One (Google+)
Come comment on this article: Thailand getting the Android One i-mobile IQ II
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