Described as “affordable Nexus” another Android One model coming to India on July 17th

Recently a report published last week shows that a new Android One handset is going to be unveiled in India later this month on the 17^th of July. Indian handset manufacturer Lava International, is said to be producing a model that will be priced for a $189USD. Unlike the first Android One handsets that were aimed to cater to the beginner class in the smartphone using segment, this time the version 2.0 of Android One handsets will cater to those who are already familiar with the use of smartphones.

For the first version Micromax, Spice and Karbonn each of them released their own Android One handset for a price of $99USD. However, in the version 2.0 of Android One, Lava is said to have a major say over the hardware and the software of the device. The buzz says that Google has improved the specs of its Android One handsets over the previous ones wherein the apps and services wil be developed by Lava International.

The new Android One handset from Lava is likely to have a 5-inch screen with a MediaTek chipset under the hood and a 2GB of RAM memory on-board. This new handset would also be available in physical stores in addition to online stores. Google is said to have spent a whopping $10-$15 million to market this device as the new Android One handset will be positioned as an affordable Nexus.

source: EconomicTimes

Described as “affordable Nexus” another Android One model coming to India on July 17th

Android 5.1 Lollipop update released for Android One devices

Google has quietly released Android 5.1 lollipop update without making any formal announcement. This update was released for Android One, Google’s initiative to offer Android experience to budget smartphones in developing markets. Android One is very close to stock Android without any modifications applied by vendors.

Google has released an updated version, Android 5.1 Lollipop for Android One, which offers some minor changes over the Android 5.0.2 release for Nexus smartphones and tablets. One of the useful change is included in the Android Lollipop ‘Quick Settings’ menu. Google has tweaked the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles so that switching between the two wireless connections becomes easy. While Android 5.0 users can toggle on/off Bluetooth menu with just a tap and access the full menu for both with a tap below, in Android 5.1 a tap on the toggle label will open up the whole list of connections without having to leave the quick settings menu. Users just have to tap the connection they want, without the need to open the full settings menu.

Other improvements in the new Android 5.1 update include improved system stability, RAM management and battery management; addition of true silent mode; changes in the Material Design color palette as well as certain other bug fixes and performance enhancements. We hope Android 5.1 update has got rid of many problems found in the earlier Lollipop version giving users a faster and smoother Android experience.

The latest version released publicly for Android Lollipop is 5.0.2, while the Android 5.1 version has been released for Android One devices. It is speculated that Google has been testing this latest update on Nexus devices and that the Nexus line-up might get Android 5.1 soon.

 

Source Redmond Pie

Android 5.1 Lollipop update released for Android One devices

Second batch of Android One to arrive in December

Well, few days back, the search engine giant Google unveiled its Android One project in India with three device launched at a very affordable price. These three handsets are the Micromax Canvas A1, Spice Android One Dream UNO and the Karbonn Sparkle V all having quite similar specs and priced around 6.5K INR only. At the launch time, there were may other handset manufacturers that had shown interest in this Google project and had promised to join this initiative later this year. If reports are to be believed, this December we would get to see the second batch of Andrid One handsets getting unveiled. Karbonn is likely to come with its one more Android One handset along with other Indian manufacturer Intex to join the club.

Revising the list of Android One hardware partners it includes some very prominent companies like Asus, Lenovo, HTC, Lava, Alcatel, Panasonic, Xolo and Acer. We can expect these companies to make announcements with their first Android One devices in the coming months.

Looking to the specs of the existing Android One devices, they include a 4.5inch display having 854×480 pixel resolution with dual-SIM support, 1GB of RAM memory, powered with quad-core MediaTek processor and a internal expandable memory. All these handsets have been launched with amazing offers with Google promising the latest software on launch for 2 years. Chipset manufacturer MediaTek has predicted that nearly 2 million Android One handsets would be sold in a year.

Second batch of Android One to arrive in December

Karbonn launches Titanium S5 Ultra exclusively via EBAY

After unveiling the Karbonn Sparkle V android one smartphone, Karbonn Titanium S5 Ultra another 1.3GHz quad core powered handset running Android KitKat OS. . Launched with an exclusive tie-up with eBay retailer, the new android phone is priced at Rs 6999 and packs a bundle of good features.

Though some of the features are better as compared with the Sparkle V Android One smartphone, the Android One is still a better option as it will get regular updates. The Titanium S5 Ultra is a dual SIM smartphone that sports a 5 inch qHD display (960x 540 pixels) resolution.

The Titanium S5 Ultra is powered by the MediaTek 1.3GHz quad core processor coupled with Mali 400 GPU. It packs 1 GB RAM and 4 GB ROM with expandable memory capacity up to 32GB via microSD card slot. This dual SIM smartphone also comes with 2MP camera (fixed focus) on the front and an 8MP rear camera with LED flash.

On the software front, the it comes with features like iFloat touch, Tile home display and enhanced video player. The iFloat touch provides direct access to Quick Share, Browser, Dialler, Video player & Messaging, while the Tile Home Display offers easy access to frequently used apps.

Additional features are 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. A 2000 mAh battery powers up the smartphone with estimated normal usage time of up to a day.

Looking at the number of android phones in India priced in the Rs. 7000 range, it seems like Karbonn Titanium S5 Ultra will find a stiff competition from the likes of Xiaomi Redmi 1S, Moto E and Micromax phones. Share your thoughts with us on the new Android device from Karbonn.

 

 

Karbonn launches Titanium S5 Ultra exclusively via EBAY

MediaTek expects 2 million Android One Handsets to be sold in India this year

Taiwan-based chip maker MediaTek is happy with the overwhelming response to the three Android One-based smartphones launched in India on the 15th of this month. Google has launched the first three Android One smartphones in India with its hardware partners Micromax, Karbonn and Spice.

According to reports, the first lot of Micromax Canvas A1 smartphones on Amazon has already been sold out. Looking to the initial response, MediaTek expects 1.5 to 2 million Android One handsets to be sold in India this year.

Mediatek has partnered with Google on the Android One initiative for providing high-quality Android experience at affordable prices to users in emerging markets such as India. Caesar Sengupta, VP of Product Management at Google says, “Together with an ecosystem of partners, including MediaTek, we’re building a future where high-quality smartphones are accessible to mainstream consumers at affordable prices.”

The three smartphones launched by Google in the Android One family are Micromax Canvas A1, Karbon Sparkle V and Spice Dream UNO all priced between INR 6000 to INR 6500 or about $100 to $105. All the devices carry MediaTek’s MT6582 SoC based on quad ARM CortexTM A7 processors.

All the three models sport a 4.5-inch 480 x 854 pixels IPS display, MediaTek MT6582 chipset with 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU, Mali 400 MP2 GPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory expandable up to 32GB, 5MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and a 1700mAh battery.

One huge benefit for Android One devices is that the software upgrades will come directly from Google. As a result, the users will get quicker updates and Google will have a better control over the operating system to provide a consistent service to the users.

The approaching festival season in India might see a further spurt in the sales of Android One smartphones.

MediaTek expects 2 million Android One Handsets to be sold in India this year

Google launches affordable Android One smartphones in India, here are the details

Google had unveiled Android One at the I/O 2014 saying that it wants to take the Android experience to affordable entry-level smartphones too. Well, Google has now launched its first three Android One smartphones in India with its hardware partners Karbonn, Micromax and Spice as its “initiative to make high-quality smartphones accessible to as many people as possible.”

The three smartphones released by the Mountain View based tech giant in the Android One family are – the Karbon Sparkle V, Micromax Canvas A1 and Spice Dream UNO. The three phones are available at their respective online retail stores. The Karbon Sparkle V is being sold on Snapdeal for INR 6,399 ($105), the Micromax Canvas A1 on Amazon for INR 6,499 ($106) and the Spice Dream UNO through Flipkart for INR 6,299 ($103).

These Android One smartphones will be available at the brick and mortar retail stores from early October. They will have “features that people in India will find particularly useful” such as dual SIM support, built-in FM radio and a replaceable battery. All the three smartphones will carry similar specifications and Google says that the hardware partners can make their own customized changes in design and minor software with the core software being the same.

The new phones will feature a 4.5-inch 480 x 854 pixels resolution IPS display,  MediaTek MT6582 chipset with 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU and Mali 400 MP2 GPU, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card, 5MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP front camera and a 1700mAh battery. Other common specs are 3G, GPS, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The smartphones will have pre-loaded Google apps such as Gmail, Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube and Google Translate. All these phones run the Android 4.4.4 KitKat stock version and will get latest updates directly from Google up to two years. They will also get Android L as soon as it is released later this year.

Google has partnered with India’s leading mobile carrier Airtel, and users with Airtel SIM card will get free software updates for the first 6 months. They will also be able to download about 200MB worth of apps (about 50 apps) from the Google Play store for 6 months which won’t be counted towards their mobile data usage.

Google has also announced that Android One users will be able to download YouTube videos and then watch them offline whenever they want. They will also get free 12 month subscription to magazines and newspapers and they can browse the articles inside the app even when they are offline. In addition, the online retailers are giving attractive offers like discount on accessories, financing options and free memory card.

Although first Android One phones are from Micromax, Karbonn and Spice, Google is adding other hardware partners such as Acer, Asus, Alcatel, HTC, Lava, Intex, OneTouch, Panasonic, Xolo and Lenovo. Google will also partner with Qualcomm. India is the first country to get Android one smartphones, they will be launched in Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal by the year end, with more countries covered next year.

As  Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president had said during the Google I/O event early this year that the company wants to bring a pure Android experience and timely software updates to affordable $100 smartphones.  About 1.75 billion people in the world have a smartphone but with Android One, Google wants to target the nest 5 billion people on the earth who cannot afford the pricey smartphones.

Have a look at the video below introducing Andoid One:

Google launches affordable Android One smartphones in India, here are the details

Flipkart accidentally posts the first Android One a day before launch

Few days back, Google announced that the Mountain View giant is hosting a special event on September 15 i.e. today which is quite related to the Android One. Yesterday, Flipkart made an official posting by listing the first Spice Android One Dream UNO Mi-498. Looking to the image it is very clear that the phone will be priced at 6,999 nearly equivalent to USD 115. The smartphone is equipped with a 4.5inch screen, powered with a quad-core MediaTek processor clocked at 1.3GHz, 1GB of RAM memory, 4GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot for expandable memory. The device would have a 5MP primary camera at the back and a 2MP secondary camera to its front. The handset is tipped to run the latest available Android 4.4.4 KitKat on-board with a Dual SIM card support.

Spice has already started publicizing the handset on social websites and said that it would be made exclusive by Flipkart. However, after keeping accidentally for some time, Flipkart has now removed it from its website.

Later today, Android One would be announced officially where we expect similar king of models from Micromax and Karbonn as well! If you are hearing about Android One for the first time, here are the complete details about the project from Google.

Flipkart accidentally posts the first Android One a day before launch

Google plans to hold an event in India on September 15! Android One expected to be unveiled

Mountain View based tech giant Google has officially announced that it holding an even in India on September 15 after sending out press invites for the same. The company is to hold the event on Monday at 12AM and announced that more details would be unveiled as the event date approaches closer.

It seems that the company is plaaning to reveal few plans of  its Android One program. The Android One program was announced at the Google I/O this year and said that the program associated phone makers like Spice, Karbonn and Micromax to take part in it. On revealing Android One, Sundar Pichai has said that it wants to take the Android experience to entry-level smartphoes. This means that all the phones that come under the Android One shield will have stock Android.

The title “Block the Date” also shows that along with the android One, the search giant might also plan to release few details regarding its Project Ara. Project Ara aims to make smartphone where everything can be customized right from the chipset to the screen thus thereby giving users a complete package of what they actually need. Just like all the Google fans, we would waiting with excitement for the event on September 15.

 

Google plans to hold an event in India on September 15! Android One expected to be unveiled

Android One Smartphone Program by Google

Google I/O function has started the program with the news of Android One that is a new company. Now a day, Smartphone program has been struggling a lot to provide good set of features to the android phone.

Android One Smartphone program has introduced the first Smartphone from Micromax that is the company of India. This Android One Smartphone has all the common and important features for the users including microSD card, Dual SIM, low price and FM Radio.

The new Android One Smartphone of Micromax will have 4.5 inch display that costs under $100 according to the report of Pichai. However, no other features specially display resolution was reported during the introduction. But, the price will be lower than the new Motorola Moto E Smartphone.

Android One Smartphone group has one big plus for all the users that the Smartphones will have the latest Android release OS and other updates.

However, Karbonn and Spice will be the next member of the Android One Smartphone program according to the Sundar Pichai during Google I/O event.

Android One Smartphone Program by Google