Google's Smartphone Launch In India-
Andriod One
Google has launched in India the first smartphones under
its Android One project, pricing them at Rs 6,399 ($105) to capture the
low-cost segment of the world's fastest growing smartphone market.
The Mountain View-Based company tied up with Indian
mobile players Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles to launch the affordable
phones, which are powered by its Android operating system and aimed at emerging
markets.
After launching in India, Google said it plans to expand
Android One to Indonesia, Philippines and other South Asian countries by the
end of 2014 and in more countries in 2015.
Google outlined the pricing and expansion details in a
marketing document seen by Reuters.
India is seen as a lucrative market for low-cost
smartphones because many people are buying the devices for the first time. Just
10% of the India's population currently owns a smartphone, brokerage Nomura
said in a recent research note, and that figure is likely to double over the
next four years.
Google, however, is not the only company jostling for a
share of the Indian market.
There are at least 80 smartphone brands in India and
analysts say the Android One phones must offer customers more than just
affordability if it wants to compete with similarly priced devices made by
Samsung Electronics, Motorola and Xiaomi.
"The initial pricing never sticks but it'll be tough
for them to compete if they don't come down further," said Neil Shah,
research director for devices and ecosystems at Hong Kong-based technology
research agency Counterpoint Research.
In June, Google had announced the launch of the Android
One project, which aims to boost demand for low-end Android smartphones by
vastly improving their quality.
Currently, many cheap emerging market smartphones run
different and somewhat customized versions of the Android operating system,
which along with the many variations in hardware make apps on those phones
prone to glitches.
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