14 DAY TRIAL // Google has launched the Android One initiative in an attempt to bring to the market affordable handsets that deliver a stock Android experience and quick software updates.
But so far, these phones have been made available only in markets like India or Indonesia, and customers in the US and Europe had to resort to third-party retailers if they wanted to get hold of one such handset.
Today, however, Google surprised us and unveiled the very first Android One handset destined for the European market. The new phone is called General Mobile 4G and will be available starting May 15 in Turkey.
While the phone is not a premium device, it does offer better specs than the other Android One handsets we have seen arrive into the wild.
General Mobile 4G is the most advanced Android One phone to date
The new General Mobile 4G makes a debut with a 5-inch IPS display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor under the hood, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.
It also dons a 5MP/3MP camera combo and lives off a 2,500 mAh battery. The phone comes equipped with a faux leather back and will be offered for $260 / €231 (off contract).
Last but not least, we should mention that the phone arrives with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box, and Google promises software support for the next 2 years.
If you want to compare the new handset to other Android One devices, take for instance the Karbonn Sparkle V, which is available for purchase in the UK via Amazon (third-party retailer).
The handset has a 4.5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen that supports 480 x 854 pixel resolution and 218 ppi (pixel per inch). It draws power from a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor, a Mali-400 graphics processor unit with 1GB of RAM.
On the photography front, we find a 5MP camera with autofocus, LED flash and HD (720p) video recording, plus a 2MP camera up in front.
Moreover, the Karbonn Sparkle V comes with 4GB of internal storage inside, but users will be able to expand storage up to 32GB via microSD card slot.
So, as you can see, the new General Mobile 4G has slightly better specs, which might justify the higher price tag of the phone.
