14 DAY TRIAL // Last year Google introduced the Android One program in an attempt to gain more market share in emerging markets.
These smartphones are designed to run stock Android, come with moderate specs but are offered for very affordable price-tags
The program first launched in India where Karbonn, Micromax and Spice were the first to roll out the models under the Android One banner.
Even if the program hasn't proved to be all that successful, the next piece of information might convince you to take another look at Android One.
Android One gets revitalized
Popular custom ROM builders, the Cyanogen team has added official support for the slew of devices. This means that from now on users will be able to install CyanogenMod 11 ROM, which is based on Android 4.4 KitKat.
At some point, CyanogenMod 12, which is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop, will also be made available for these particular device, but for the time being the ROM has been rolled out for select devices including Nexus 6, OnePlus One and LG G3.
As you might as well know, CyanogenMod is actually a custom version of Android based on the open source version of Google’s OS, but adds a number of nifty features allowing users to gain control over things like privacy settings, power options and such.
The Android One slew of smartphones is sustained by MediaTek chips, which means they are the first devices running on the platform to get official support from the makers of one of the most popular ROMs around.
Cyanogen says they will be releasing updates for their builds on a weekly basis, so keep an eye out for them.
Android One spec refresh
For those of you who have forgotten, the standard Android One bundle includes a handset with a 4.5-inch FWVGA IPS display with 854 x 480 pixel resolution.
The powerhouse is a 1.3GHz MediaTek quad-core processor fitted with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage (microSD card for memory expansion available).
The handsets also take advantage of two cameras (5MP on the back and 2MP up in front) plus dual-SIM, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS.
