Google announces Android One to enhance the reach of Android to masses

Delivering his keynote address at I/O, Google's annual developer conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, Sundar Pichai, Google's head of Android and Chrome platforms, said Android One will in fact let phone-makers pool in resources to create a reference platform for smartphones, thus saving time and costs in launching new models.

With Android One, Google is hoping to reduce the cost of smartphone development by identifying the components that go into a smartphone and to pre-qualify suppliers for those parts to ensure they work together, Pichai said.

On the software side, Google is giving access to its Play Store to help them add locally relevant apps to their devices. It's also handling all the software updates automatically, just like it does for Nexus devices.

Pichai said the company is launching the program in India and has associated with Micromax, Karbonn and Spice as initial partners. In addition, the company will also be working with various wireless providers to lower the cost of wireless plans.



In the keynote, Pichai presented an example of Android One-powered Micromax smartphone, which will have dual-SIM functionality, a 4.5-inch screen, microSD card support and FM radio priced under $100.