Google is looking to restart the Android One program it first initiated within India last year. If you can recall the program was not the grand success that Google was hoping for. This was likely caused by the limitations that manufacturers had to follow in order to release an Android One smartphone in the country. Now that the restart is coming towards India first, we may see more manufacturers give in on creating an affordable smartphone while being labeled an Android One device. However, this is purely speculation as we’ll have to see just how well manufacturers and consumers take to these new potential handsets.
As mentioned, Google launched the Android One initiative last year within India where it spread to other countries. The idea behind Google’s Android One is to bring out smartphones to consumers at an affordable rate, usually around the $100 price tag. One of the main reasons this failed to become a success is that manufacturers who created these devices within countries like India had to abide by strict limitations. There was only a handful of selection choices when it came to including components for the handsets. This made devices rarely different from other Android One handsets thus manufacturers opted to create other affordable devices.
Apparently, only 3.5% of smartphones that ranged from $50 to $100 were Android One devices. Now Google is taking another look at bringing Android One to India again. However, this time around Google is stepping back and giving manufacturers more freedom to choose what components can go within the device. For instance, it’s been revealed that there is a total of five options for cameras alone. While it’s not clear as to why manufacturers would jump into Android One again, it can be assumed that these devices will receive some help through Google during the manufacturing or possibly a hand with promotion. Furthermore, it’s uncertain as to why Google is attempting the program after it failed at first. Most of the speculation seems to be aimed that Google is looking to bring in more users onto its services while also gaining additional advertisement revenue through new consumers.