14 DAY TRIAL // Google’s Android One initiative, which is meant to deliver affordable handsets with decent specs and Android stock on board, has debuted in several emerging markets around the world, more prominently in India. The latest such device launched in the country is the Lava Pixel V1, which is selling for around $175 / €160.
If you think that price isn’t affordable enough for your wallet, the good news is that things might change soon enough. According to a new report coming out of Financial Times, Google is preparing to unveil new specifications within a few weeks, in order to push the adoption of Android One smartphones in the country.
The first Android One handsets Google put out on the market in India were also sold with price tags of around $100 / €90, and since then Google has expanded the availability of the program in other countries like Pakistan or Sri Lanka. The Lava Pixel V1 is actually a second-gen Android One model that offers improved specs compared to the earlier generation.
Google wants to lower Android One rates
Still, adoption of Android One devices has been stalling in India, mostly because there’s a wide range of budget handsets to choose from in the country. According to the aforementioned report, customers can choose between models selling for just $131 / €119 to $47 / €43.
Taking this aspect into consideration, it appears that Google is thinking of lowering the price of its Android One smartphones to $50 / €45 or lower, in order to make them more attractive to customers in the country.
We’re not being told what sort of specs these devices will bundle, but it’s safe to assume that they won’t come with full HD displays and super-fast processors.
They will probably be equipped with very low-end specifications, provided that Google manages to find a way to run its latest software on basic hardware. Android M is around the corner after all and Google needs to put the new operating system version on these handsets as well.