Google introduced three new smartphones Monday in New Delhi, India as part of a new platform for making affordable smartphones available in the developing world.
The Android One platform was announced in June at the Google I/O conference, and has led to Monday's debut of the Spice Android One Dream UNO Mi-498, the Micromax Canvas A1 and the Karbonn Sparkle V, according to CNET.
Features found among all three devices include a 4.5-inch FWVGA display with an 854x480-pixel resolution, dual-SIM slots, a quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, 1GB RAM and a microSD card for expandable storage. All devices additionally come with a 5-megapixel camera on the back and a removable 1,700mAh battery.
The first Android One phones will be available for Rs 6,399 ($105) and will have support for more languages, including Hindi, a language used by 40 percent of the population in India, The Verge reported. Google Play Store and YouTube will also be featured in the devices.
Google looks to make sure consumers can afford the phones by having them run stock Android and install software updates itself. The search giant applies the same strategy for its Nexus and Google Play edition devices.
The company is working on the platform with Indian carrier Bharti Airtel, which will provide a special data plan for Android One users, CNET reported. Users will receive the software updates and app updates for free.
People in India can buy the new smartphones at Amazon India, Flipkart, Snapdeal and other online stores. Google is looking to make the devices available in Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries in South Asia by the end of 2014, and then in other countries in 2015. Other phone manufacturers are also joining the Android One platform, such as Alcatel, Panasonic, Asus, Acer, HTC and Lenovo.
