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Android One
- fdsary 12y agoSo it's a high-quality android phone for $250? That's pretty freaking cool :). Open source, yay! Even if it's a NSA phone.
- bildung 12y ago$250 is the monthly income bracket they target, the phone itself is on sale for Rs 6400, which is about $100.
- lnanek2 12y agoNot really a fan of Google negotiating unmetered access for Android to cellular data like this. I think Google/Apple/BlackBerry/Windows Phone/Xiaomi/random OEM should all have equal access to cellular data and let the user choose.
- NotOscarWilde 12y ago> To help ensure a consistent experience, Android One devices will receive the latest versions of Android directly from Google. So you’ll get all the latest features, up-to-date security patches, and peace of mind knowing your stuff is always backed up. This rings a bitter note for me -- I bought a Galaxy Nexus a while after it came out and I was really surprised how quickly Google discontinued updates for it. Is it expected that "the next five billion" will also buy a new phone every two years? To quote Google: > Galaxy Nexus, which first launched two years ago, falls outside of the 18-month update window when Google and others traditionally update devices. (I still own the phone and I have the latest Android because of Cyanogenmod, but again, this is not something that can be recommended to "the next five billion".)
- tylerH2014 12y ago> I bought a Galaxy Nexus a while after it came out and I was really surprised how quickly Google discontinued updates for it. This is likely because it used a TI OMAP processor. TI left the mobile field, fired thousands of engineers and instead focuses on industrial/automotive. OMAP was dead in the water shortly after that phone appeared. I'm guessing that probably meant no support or driver updates.
- freehunter 12y agoIt's funny because the Moto 360 runs an OMAP 3 processor and Motorola is still owned by Google until the sale goes through, so it's not like Google refuses to use or update OMAP processors anymore.
- bduerst 12y agoThis is mostly why the Galaxy Nexus no longer gets updates. The Galaxy Nexus was also born from a not-so-great partnership with Samsung, who was at the time maneuvering into a position to compete directly with Google (e.g. Tizen).
- jacquesm 12y ago> Is it expected that "the next five billion" will also buy a new phone every two years? Absolutely! The whole phone market is one huge study in planned obsolescence. It's doing even better than cars in that respect. And the tablet market isn't far behind.
- mvp 12y agoAnd probably for the better in case of mobile phones. Can't say the same for cars personally.
- umeshunni 12y agoIt's just a reflection of the state of maturity/pace of development of the industry. I remember when people used to replace their computers once ever two/three years. Nowadays, it's more like 5-7 years.
- aw3c2 12y agoPlaintext for people who browse with Javascript disabled: http://tj-markdown-paste.herokuapp.com/posts/504698 http://tj-markdown-paste.herokuapp.com/posts/504698
- sjaaktrekhaak 12y agoDoes not work; "Couldn't find Post with id=504698"
- aw3c2 12y agoHuh! Sounds like a site I will never bother to use again. Here you go http://pastebin.com/C2M5Ep5Q http://pastebin.com/C2M5Ep5Q
- sandGorgon 12y agodoes anyone know if Google will release source for Android One phones to the same level as Nexus ? I have heard that Mediatek is notoriously closed source, so I'm wondering how this works out for the community/cyanogenmod at large
- SoulMan 12y agoWhy wouldn't one buy Moto E instead ?
- ccozan 12y agoI am suprised they don't mention the Motorola E ( or even G ). They also count towards budget phones and are already selling very good in India.
- Retric 12y agoFor really cheap phones it's hard to beat the used market. Edit: A 2 year upgrade cycle on an original iPhone released in January 9, 2007 means people have replaced it 3 times. Toss in broken screens, work phones etc and you quickly get into the 100 million range.
- ccozan 12y agoThe talk here is about smartphones. Of course a 10$ old Nokia phone will beat everything.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- someperson 12y agoRemember the used market is only workable in countries with enough previous purchase history over a long enough period, most developing economies don't reach that point for quite a few years longer than developed countries for a given technology.
- Retric 12y agoCellphones are easy to ship. Hell, used cars are resold people in developing countries all the time. http://www.economist.com/node/719514 http://www.economist.com/node/719514
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- zz1 12y agoDoes it mention Firefox OS? Nope, right? Selling very good too. But we don't have to deduce anything from that, right?
- lake99 12y agoColour me skeptical. The biggest problem, as I see, with all these phones is the obsoletion rate of software. If they had pledged to do their best to keep the platform running on the oldest of Android phones, all those phones would immediately be given away or sold cheaply to poor people. They don't need to port all bells and whistles to each of their previous platforms, just the minimum required to keep simple apps (not games, not multimedia) running across all devices. I have a few such "obsolete" devices myself. The only thing wrong with the hardware is that their easily replaced batteries are dead. I'd certainly give them away if they could be of much use now.
- ChrisAntaki 12y agoIn my experience, older Android phones can be fairly useful. There are some great audio recording & guitar tuning apps which work offline, making the devices handy for capturing musical ideas. Keeping the devices in airplane mode dramatically increases their battery life. Additionally, if you want to bust out a dedicated charger, they can act as IP cameras. Great for watching your motorcycle when it's parked outside in a city. Here's a KickStarter which aims to use old Android devices to passively collect audio in rainforests, with the aim of halting illegal logging. [1] TLDR: If people choose to write software for these devices, they can remain useful for a long time. [1] https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/topherwhite/rainforest-connection-phones-turned-to-forest-guar https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/topherwhite/rainforest-...
- jokoon 12y agoapart from the moto e, what other cheap smartphones are already available in the west ? I don't have a smartphone, but I don't want to spend a lot on one.
- zz1 12y agoFirefos OS ones are the cheapest. If you want to spend a lot (well, no, not really, comparing to high-end devices) you can get a Geeksphone Revolution or a Flame, the developer reference phone https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/os/devices/ https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/os/devices/ http://shop.geeksphone.com/es/moviles/9-revolution.html http://shop.geeksphone.com/es/moviles/9-revolution.html https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Firefox_OS/Developer_phone_guide/Flame https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Firefox_OS/Developer_pho...
- johnchristopher 12y agoSome Lumia hit the 99euros or 99$ price tag and are quite decent.
- bruceb 12y agoThe 520/1 are regularly on sale for $59 and less no with no contract
- dagw 12y agoIf you want Android then Samsung have a couple of android phones, called Galaxy Star, around the $120 price point. The low end Huawei phones are also around there and should be available in most countries. That being said, by all accounts the moto e is a better phone than either of those options. The other option I would seriously consider is a low end Lumia device (520 or 530). Sure it's Windows Phone and not Android, but if you don't have a particular reason to prefer Android you'll get a perfectly good smart phone for very reasonable price.
- huuu 12y agoTake a look at Huawei. You can get a Huawei Ascend Y330 for around € 80,-
- shawn-butler 12y agoI swear I've heard this messaging before... http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/02/11/mobile-phones-the-next-billion/ http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/02/11/mobile-phones-the-...
- kristianc 12y agoReally brings home the weirdness of Microsoft's strategy with Nokia. Instead of selling some Windows Phone in developed markets and lots of Series 40 in developing markets, they've ended up selling next to none in either.
- diminish 12y agoFirefoxOS has a better price point, and has an opportunity, of course hard job against the Goliaths.
- ChrisAntaki 12y agoFirefoxOS would be able to compete more effectively if it were installable on higher end devices.
- byoung2 12y agoWhat prevents it from being installed on high end devices?
- blueskin_ 12y agoNobody wanting it. Android has the smartphone market for people who want a device with customisability/moddability, good software support and options for hardware and the flexibility and power of having an accessible Linux system behind the scenes, while the iphone has the locked down walled garden "make all my decisions for me" market.
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- shk 12y agoFeature phones are still the reality in a large swathe of rural India. Cheaper android phones will definitely help change that situation. I wished that android one phones came with free 2-3 months of 2G packs so that millions of people could have their first taste of 'Internet'.
- blueskin_ 12y ago>millions of people could have their first taste of 'Internet'. Eternal September 4.0?
- shk 12y agoHad to lookup that reference. For others - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September However, what events do 2.0 and 3.0 refer to?
- blueskin_ 12y agoIt's just my rough mental approximation of how many times such a situation has already happened (even if Usenet is to all intents and purposes dying/dead, it still applies to the internet as a whole). Imagine a billion people with poor to no English and no previous experience of concepts even similar to the internet all gaining access at once.
- sp332 12y agoWell, you don't have to know English to use the Internet.
- freehunter 12y agoIf people who don't speak English get onto the Internet in droves, I would imagine they would flock to sites catering to their language, until the point where they learn enough English to join the English speaking parts (assuming they have interest in learning English, which they may not). The Internet does have sites dedicated to other languages. I frequent reddit.com/r/de, which is reddit but completely in German.
- grizzles 12y agoIs it flashable? Hope so.
- JVIDEL 12y agoBelieve it or not the biggest barrier to adoption in those countries is not income per se as the middle class has been growing for over a decade, but trade barriers and import tariffs that make even the cheapest phone ridiculously expensive by western standards. Compare the prices of some Chinese android phones in their home market with the prices in India. A Gionee model that went for around $230 in China sells for nearly $400 in India, almost twice the price. And is not as if the Chinese don't pay any taxes.
- ishansharma 12y agoIndia is a strange place in regards to pricing! I have no idea how Apple manufactures iPhone in China, sells it for $650 in US but will sell same one for ~$900 here. They are saving transportation costs as we are right next to China. Maybe I'm missing something important but I will never get the logic of this kind of pricing.
- byoung2 12y agoThey are saving transportation costs as we are right next to China. They may not be coming directly from China. I was surprised to find out that in the Philippines, Japanese cars were much more expensive than in the US. It turns out that many of the the right hand drive models sold in the Philippines come from the US, not Japan. This was in 2005, but Japanese auto makers have been looking to manufacture more in the Philippines in recent years.
- eitally 12y agoImport duties. Just compare Brazil against most other countries, too. 100% import tax on most things.
- fidotron 12y agoThe most interesting thing is to see the presence of micro-SD cards, and the tacit acknowledgement that a lot of the world actually needs this kind of thing as the network isn't good enough. Let's hope this means the Nexus line get that.
- blueskin_ 12y agoAgreed. I only ever buy phones with SD cards, because: * Streaming wastes battery * Streaming wastes data usage * Streaming costs money; especially stupid when I already own my music and don't like renting data * Streaming is useless when a car/train is in a tunnel, when on a plane, or when just out of signal * Most streaming services lack breadth (not enough bands) and/or depth (only having a small selection of music per band) of good music * I don't trust streaming providers with my privacy
- zz1 12y agoNo thanks Google: the next five billion already have Firefox OS.
- shk 12y agoFirefox os phones are not even available widely in retail stores in Indian tier 2 and 3 cities. Android ones on the other hand I hope will be available in remote corners as well.
- zz1 12y agoThey're not because they sold out on launch day. They are coming.
- shk 12y agoThat's true they sold out. However, I feel they will never be manufactured in numbers compared to android one initiative for India (I hope they do though). Probably numbering few millions at best, which is a drop in bucket for the huge population.
- zz1 12y ago> However, I feel they will never be manufactured in numbers compared to android one initiative for India Let's change that! Ask for Firefox OS phones and tell people about that: they are cheaper than Android, offer better performances and better long-term support.
- Oletros 12y agoCan you link to any figure telling how many Firefox smartphones have been sold?
- blueskin_ 12y ago>lots of processing power >expandable storage >dual SIM cards >replaceable battery I wish we could get a phone like that in the first world... Shame the One's specs are actually very weak...[1] [1]http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/android-one-smartphones-launched-price-specs-where-buy-much-more-1465482 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/android-one-smartphones-launched-pr... - TBFH google should be hit for false advertising calling that CPU/memory combo 'lots of processing power'. Lots in 2003, maybe.
- keerthiko 12y agoActual specs littered across the phone's store page on flipkart for one of the models: the Dream Uno [0]. Summary: 4.5" screen: 854x480 FWVGA 67mm x 132mm x 9.15mm GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 1.3Ghz Quad core 1GB RAM + 4GB ROM 2.27GB built-in usable storage, expandable to 32GB via SD [this storefront provides a free 8GB SD card] 2G/3G [notably seems to lack 4G?] 10/17hrs battery on 3G/2G IMO, the lack of 4G option makes this a questionable choice. Dual SIM support temptingly makes up for it though, especially as I'm being a digital nomad. [0] http://www.flipkart.com/spice-android-one-dream-uno-mi-498/p/itmdzuakgnatgyzs?pid=MOBDZUAKXJTCZAAV&srno=b_1&ref=de95e6fc-ea52-4848-ba6f-9d153134268f&otracker=ts_androidone_main_image_AppWorld http://www.flipkart.com/spice-android-one-dream-uno-mi-498/p...
- RobAley 12y agoTry the Firfox Flame. Comes with better OS as well...
- matt_heimer 12y ago> I wish we could get a phone like that in the first world... I just picked up a LG Optimus L90-D415 (refurb) direct from Tmobile for $80. The non-refurb is $100. 4.7 qHD (960 x 540) IPS Display 2,460 mAh battery 1.2Ghz Quad Core CPU - Snapdragon 400 Cortex A7 Adreno 305 GPU 1GB RAM 8GB storage (with microSD slot) KitKat (4.4.2) 5 megapixel rear camera, 0.3 megapixel front I added a 32GB sd card, I wish you could default apps to installing to sd instead of having to move them (and a couple apps don't move). Really the only bad things are: a) no soft buttons, and the hard buttons aren't lit. b) no ambient light sensor. by default there is a setting to adjust brightness as specific times (which sucks). But a $3 app (Lux) corrects the problem by using the front camera when you unlock the phone.
- blisterpeanuts 12y agoExpandable memory and changeable batteries--these are features Google's been removing from its flagship Nexus phones, much to the consternation of those like myself who want modularity, flexibility, and open design. FM radio would be nice to have, as well. "Everything is in the Cloud" is a pipe dream. One can only hope that this South Asia phone is a worldwide trend and not just a concession to 3rd world shortages of data connections.
- UVB-76 12y agoThe Android One will include a Micro SD slot and the battery appears, and at a glance, to be replaceable at least in some capacity.
- jarek 12y agoI was pretty surprised at microSD. Here I was, in the first world, being told that the reason microSD is being dropped from Nexus devices is that it's too difficult for software to support and users to understand. I'm a bit jealous, I could have skipped shelling out $50 for 16 GB of flash worth $5.
- bryanlarsen 12y agoAndroid 4.4 has an entirely new external storage API, so with that, it appears that Google has now given their blessing back to microSD. IOW, I wouldn't be surprised if the Nexus 6 had microSD.
- blisterpeanuts 12y agoThat is good news. 128GB microSD cards are around $100 currently, a shame that Nexus owners can't take advantage of these great storage options. Data connections are getting more expensive, at least in the U.S., so the consumer needs to have the option of using local storage.
- tkubacki 12y agoYour move Microsoft. If not now then when ?
- arc_of_descent 12y agoMost of rural India does not even have electricity. I wonder how they are going to charge their Android Ones.
- tim333 12y agoApparently 70% of India has electricity. I imagine the smartphone will sell mostly to those who have it. Though off the grid I guess they could get a solar charger in principle.
- Tloewald 12y ago70% of physical area or people? I'm finding it hard to get good stats. If 70% of people then that means almost no rural coverage.
- tubelite 12y agoHere is a district-wise map of percentage of rural households with a. electrical lighting and b. mobiles. http://imgur.com/A7PXuwa http://imgur.com/A7PXuwa Surprisingly, they don't overlap. Numbers are from the 2011 census. Interactive version at: https://bl.ocks.org/ganeshv/raw/fada13e56d2c5b7b1a78/ https://bl.ocks.org/ganeshv/raw/fada13e56d2c5b7b1a78/
- tim333 12y agoI was thinking 70% of people. That figure is actually my guestimate based on: "In December 2011, over 300 million Indian citizens had no access to frequent electricity. Over one third of India's rural population lacked electricity, as did 6% of the urban population." (Wikipedia) Checking 2011 article "The rural-urban distribution is 68.84 per cent and 31.16 per cent respectively" (The Hindu) Multiplying those by 1/3 and 6%, that would make it 75% had electricity around 2011 and presumably a bit more now.
- mvp 12y agoIf that indeed is the case, having cheap mobiles which people WANT to use, will probably divert PEOPLE's attention towards good supply of electricity throught out the country.
- nomercy400 12y agoIsn't 'One' a protected trademark in the mobile (android) phone world?
- tribaal 12y agoI live in Africa. When is it coming here? I'd love to have a cheap, supported android phone. Most affordable android phones here are "tecno" (chinese samsung knockoffs), but it's notably hard to flash since not many people with the know-how own any. By the way, if you do have the know-how to port i.e. cyanogenmod to a new device please get in touch - I'll be glad to send you a few handsets, and you'd make loads of people in developing countries a solid :)
- dobbsbob 12y agoThose are all mediatek phones which they refuse to honor GPL and release the kernel sources. I suspect Android One will be the same. You can check out the CyanogenMod porting guide and pull the kernel and recovery settings from boot.img, modify clockwork mod with settings you found in boot.img to get root access then flash(most Chinese clones use fastboot to flash) CWM recovery and run a script in the porting guide they have to yank proprietary binaries off the device and attempt to fully port using the pre-compiled kernel you ripped from the boot image. I did it with a Mediatek i9300 clone from Alibaba but built and ran Replicant mod on it instead of CyanogenMod. Some things won't work like proprietary GPS and NFC but I didn't want those anyways. If Android One Mediatek kernel is released can use it on matching Chinese clones unless it's some special kernel/chipset only made for Android One device. If we are lucky and that chipset is mass produced by Alibaba suppliers, and Google has the kernel source available we can get even cheaper phones than the One and run better software on it. http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Doc:_porting_intro http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Doc:_porting_intro
- phatak-dev 12y agoIt's available now http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/09/16/android-4-4-4-kernel-source-code-for-the-spice-micromax-and-karbonn-android-one-phones-available-now/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/09/16/android-4-4-4-kernel...
- janekm 12y agoIt's remarkable how much of an effort they're making to hide the screen resolution (which I suppose may vary depending on manufacturer, but doesn't appear to be part of the required spec?). The only one I could find was for the "KARBONN ANDROID ONE SPARKLE V BLUE" which is FWVGA 480*854 pixels.
- memossy 12y agoThe specs for these phones are basically somewhere between that of the Moto E and Moto G with removable battery. No reason it shouldn't be below $50 in a few years.
- jusben1369 12y agoFascinating. Barely noticed in the enthusiasm around the Apple Watch and Pay was the fact that Apple discontinued the idea of a "cheap" iPhone as a unique product. Apple will be the brand of the elite via $350 watches and Android wants to be the product of the masses.
- anilgulecha 12y agoThe three phones are: * http://www.flipkart.com/spice-android-one-dream-uno-mi-498/p/itmdzuakgnatgyzs http://www.flipkart.com/spice-android-one-dream-uno-mi-498/p... * http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00NEFFWF6 http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00NEFFWF6? * http://www.snapdeal.com/product/karbonn-android-one-blue/1938355391 http://www.snapdeal.com/product/karbonn-android-one-blue/193... Almost the exact same specs on all three phones.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- vamur 12y agoThe price isn't bad but you can already get slightly worse Android phones for $70 in Russia, and cheaper in China.
- eevilspock 12y agoYES! Let's get the next five billion messaging, emailing and browsing through the systems of one company. This will be great for freedom, privacy and competition!
- sirkneeland 12y agoThis will nip in the bud whatever traction Microsoft was getting in India with Windows Phone. Between this and losing the Nokia name, it's difficult to see why many Indian consumers would opt for a "Microsoft Lumia" over one of these high quality low cost devices that come with the vastly richer Android ecosystem.
- moeedm 12y agoHey, looks like Apple had the right idea all along! Who knew?
- seanflyon 12y agoWhat idea is that? Apple has been very successful with the high end of the market, which seems significantly different from Android One.
- bruceb 12y agoApparently Android one is for people under 40 only. (judging by the video)
- hauget 12y agoanyone know who shot the ad/video for Android One?
- hauget 12y agoanyone know who shot the ad/video for this?
- Istof 12y agoAndroid Zero would be great too where you would only get security updates.