Rumor: manufacturers are coming in India with Android Go smartphones from 26 euros

By admin On Jan 3, 2018

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According to an Indian site, several manufacturers will soon come with budget smartphones with Android Go. Micromax would be the first at the end of January, with a device that costs about 2000 rupees. Converted that is about 26 euros.

According to Factor Daily, Google has made deals with Indian manufacturers like Micromax, Intex, Lava, karbonn and others to release low-cost Android Go smartphones. The website says it has heard that information from multiple sources. Micromax would release the first device, probably at the end of January. Other devices would follow in the weeks after.

At the beginning of December, Google indicated when releasing Android Go that it is expected that the first smartphones with the operating system will appear in early 2018. It is not yet known what the specifications are of the budget devices for the Indian market. Android Go is intended for cheap smartphones with 512MB to 1GB of RAM.

Android Go includes modified versions of existing apps: Google Go, Google Assistant Go, YouTube Go, Google Maps Go, Gmail Go, Gboard, Google Play, Chrome, and the Files Go app. The interface is simpler and updates will be smaller. Also, more features are available offline. Control of data usage is central in the modified version of Android.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in early 2017 when he was in India that there should be $30 smartphones for emerging markets. If the upcoming Android Go devices actually cost around 2000 rupees, that wish seems to come true.

According to market researcher IDC, six out of ten phones sold in India are models that are less than Rs 5000, about $65. Five of the ten devices sold are in the price range up to 2000 rupees, about 26 euros.

In countries such as China and India, Android smartphones are already sold for a few tens, but now it is usually models with an old version of the operating system. Android Go is based on Android 8 Oreo and therefore also has all the security updates that have been implemented in recent years.