Android One, unlike Nexus series was a pure dud. Given the reputed parentage of Google, it had promising future, but either blame it on the poor back-burner marketing or the “cheap” tag associated with it, the series never took off.
It is not just in India, Android One project was also introduced in several other countries including, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, with equal fare. As it can be predicted, Android One never had success, it could have achieved, globally.
Google Managing Director, India and Southeast Asia, Rajan Anandan, said in an interview that,
“Google is looking to launch a $50 phone in the next few years.”
In an exclusive to Financial Times, he also stated that, “the much-hyped mobile standard has “not delivered to expectations” but has plans for a reboot which would be revealed in “the next few years”.
Keeping in mind the imminent internet boom that India is going to witness in the coming years, he noted,
“Strategically it [India] is very, very important. Don’t get me wrong, the revenue is interesting but… we’re here really because 10 years from now a billion Indians will be online and when we have a billion Indians online we think that’s going to make a huge difference to the global internet economy.”
With Motorola breaking new grounds, with the entry level Android phone, Moto E series, it remains a mystery to note that Android One never stood a chance despite having the brand ‘Google’ on its side, even against lesser likes of Lava, Celkon and Gionee, which sold their devices like hot cakes in the entry level category.
With aiming a safe sub 3K range, it will be interesting to see, if the rebooted Android One series will seduce Indian budget consumers and take the Indian smartphone market by storm.
So what do you think? Do let us know your views in the comments below.
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