Google to partner Micromax, Karbonn for low-cost smartphones

At the 7th annual Google I/O developer conference in California, Sundar Pichai, Google Senior Vice President, Android, Chrome & Apps during the keynote announced of making Android-based smartphone accessible to billions of people in India.

"Today we announced an important initiative called Android One," said Pichai to the 6,000 plus developers on June 25 present at the Moscone West in San Francisco.

He said all these amazing multi-screen experiences are built around a smartphone and basic internet connectivity. However, there are many people - billions of people, in fact - who still don’t have access to a smartphone, "We want to change that."

Google is working with partners on a comprehensive solution - which includes hardware reference platforms - to address the mobile computing needs of those in emerging markets. Android One will provide smartphones that are high quality, affordable and come with reasonable data plans.

The partners will launch an initial range of sub-$100 (below Rs 6,000) Android One smartphones starting in India this Fall, with more countries to follow.

“We’ve long wondered what potential could be unleashed if people everywhere had access to the latest technology and the world's information. It's time to find out," said Pichai.

He showed one of the phone on screen, and pointed out that it has features that matters to country like India. It would have 4.5-inche screen, dual sim SD card and FM radio "I am using this cutting edge phone for a while and it's really good and would cost less than $100," Pichai said.

Google is working with three manufacturers Miromax, Karbonn and Spice and also with carriers to help customers provide affordable package with these devices.

"What we are excited about is it's a leverage turn key solution so that it scales and bring high quality, affordable smart phones. So that we can get the next billion people access to these devices and we can't wait to see the impact it's going to happen," said  Pichai and added there are over 1 billion around the world who use an Android device

and more than 20 billion text messages sent every day.

During the conference Google team also announced Android Wear a ‘wearable,’ on your wrist. Android Wear connects your phone to your wrist. Pause, play, and skip music tracks or quickly respond to text messages from your watch.

The company also announced about Android Auto, where Android phone could be connected to a car and will offer information navigation from Google Maps, your curated playlists and radio stations through Play Music, simple-to-use voice search.

At the 7th annual Google I/O developer conference in California, Sundar Pichai, Google Senior Vice President, Android, Chrome & Apps during the keynote announced of making Android-based smartphone accessible to billions of people in India.

"Today we announced an important initiative called Android One," said Pichai to the 6,000 plus developers on June 25 present at the Moscone West in San Francisco.

He said all these amazing multi-screen experiences are built around a smartphone and basic internet connectivity. However, there are many people - billions of people, in fact - who still don’t have access to a smartphone, "We want to change that."

Google is working with partners on a comprehensive solution - which includes hardware reference platforms - to address the mobile computing needs of those in emerging markets. Android One will provide smartphones that are high quality, affordable and come with reasonable data plans.

The partners will launch an initial range of sub-$100 (below Rs 6,000) Android One smartphones starting in India this Fall, with more countries to follow.

“We’ve long wondered what potential could be unleashed if people everywhere had access to the latest technology and the world's information. It's time to find out," said Pichai.

He showed one of the phone on screen, and pointed out that it has features that matters to country like India. It would have 4.5-inche screen, dual sim SD card and FM radio "I am using this cutting edge phone for a while and it's really good and would cost less than $100," Pichai said.

Google is working with three manufacturers Miromax, Karbonn and Spice and also with carriers to help customers provide affordable package with these devices.

"What we are excited about is it's a leverage turn key solution so that it scales and bring high quality, affordable smart phones. So that we can get the next billion people access to these devices and we can't wait to see the impact it's going to happen," said  Pichai and added there are over 1 billion around the world who use an Android device

and more than 20 billion text messages sent every day.

During the conference Google team also announced Android Wear a ‘wearable,’ on your wrist. Android Wear connects your phone to your wrist. Pause, play, and skip music tracks or quickly respond to text messages from your watch.

The company also announced about Android Auto, where Android phone could be connected to a car and will offer information navigation from Google Maps, your curated playlists and radio stations through Play Music, simple-to-use voice search.