Google has apparently begun sending invites out to press based in India for an event to be held on the 15th of September. While the invite doesn’t specifically state what the event is for, the most likely focus of the event will be the Android One handsets that Google announced back in June at Google I/O, which are expected to launch this month from hardware partners Karbonn, Micromax, and Spice.
The most recent rumours for Android One point to an early September launch – which this event will co-incide with. The event is likely to see Google Senior Vice President for Chrome and Android, Sundar Pichai present to launch the phones, which retail for between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 (between AU$125 – AU$177).
The Android One platform is a hardware reference design which Google is shopping to hardware partners, all the while controlling the software experience in a bid to supply a low-cost handset to the ‘next 5 billion’ customers. Customers, which Google hopes to find in the developing markets such as India which even with a population of 1 Billion people, only has around 10% market penetration for smartphone owners – that’s a lot of potential customers.
We’re keen to get a hold of an Android One here at Ausdroid, it’s an intriguing look into what Google can do with more control over the Android eco-system. While there’s still room for a wider range of choice with Open Handset Alliance members creating high-end handsets, a low-end range will be a good test of how scaleable Android can be. Hopefully we see a couple of Android One handsets coming here.
