Skip to main content

Google may reveal first low-cost Android One phones at September 15th event

Google may reveal first low-cost Android One phones at September 15th event

Share this story

Google has begun working with hardware manufacturers to help them easily produce low-cost Android Phones, and the first phones built as part of that effort could see a release soon. Google is holding an event in India on September 15th, according to NDTV, and it seems likely that it'll take this opportunity to focus on these new phones. The phones come as part of Android One, a reference program announced back in June that allows manufacturers to make phones based on inexpensive hardware designs put together by Google. If Google can really make it easy for manufacturers to build quality, low-cost phones, then that'll be a huge step for Android toward reaching more and more people across the globe.

Android One is supposed to launch this fall in India, so this event is timed perfectly to kick that off. Three manufacturers — Micromax, Karbonn Mobile, and Spice Mobile — are already committed to producing phones for the program, all of which are supposed to sell for under $100. For the most part, there aren't many details on what these phones will look like, but Google did detail a bit about Micromax's phone: it'll have a 4.5-inch display, dual-SIM support, an SD card slot, and an FM radio. One of the key factors about these phones that we do know, however, is that Google has a lot of control over their software, so they'll all be running stock Android and they'll all automatically receive updates. This program is likely to be a huge deal for Google as it tries to expand Android's reach, so it'll be worth watching to see how it gets started.