Google estimates that only 1.75 billion members of the world's population have smartphones, leading the search engine company to look for ways to place powerful, yet affordable, handsets in the palms of the roughly 5 billion or so individuals who make due with technological relics.
Android One is Google's low-cost, high-caliber solution to equip "the next five billion" with smartphones, according to Sundar Pichai, Google's senior VP of Android, Chrome and Apps.
"Access for access's sake is not enough," states Pichai. "With Android One, we not only want to help people get online, we want to make sure that when they get there, they can tap into the wealth of information and knowledge the web holds for everyone."
The Android One phones start at 6,399 rupees, approximately $105 U.S., and they include features that are popular for the regions in which they'll release. For example, the Android One handsets will feature dual SIM support, popular in India, and built-in FM radios.
While their cost will have a low starting point, Pichai says the Android One phones will have ample processing power.
"By working closely with phone and silicon chipmakers to share reference designs and select components, we're making it easier for our partners to build phones that are not just great to use, but also affordable," states Pichai.
They'll also feature high-resolution front and rear cameras, expandable storage, and the latest version of the Android operating system. Pichai says the unified Android core of all of the devices will make it easier to create unique experiences for handsets, without having to burn time on developing or modifying an operating system.
"To help ensure a consistent experience, Android One devices will receive the latest versions of Android directly from Google," says Pichai. "So you'll get all the latest features, up-to-date security patches, and peace of mind knowing your stuff is always backed up. It also means Android One devices will be some of the first to be updated to the Android L release later this year."
Micromax, Karbonn, Spice and chipmaker MediaTek were the first to release Android One products. Acer, Alcatel One Touch, Asus, HTC, Intex, Lava, Lenovo, Panasonic, Xolo and Qualcomm are currently working on Android One-certified releases, according to Pichai.
The Android One program will expand from India into Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka before the end of 2015. Pichai says Google hopes to include more countries in the program before the year ends and expressed hope hardware manufacturers would deliver even better products soon.
