Enter Android One
If you’re a gamer, you probably understand the analogy behind Android One, considering how Xbox One came after Xbox 360. Either way, Android One is meant to be a fresh new chapter, finally bringing peace to a chaotic market of budget mobile phones. You might be hearing more and more about Android One more recently, but the program isn’t exactly new.Starting off at a price of less than $100, the Android One platform was an instant hit, which then led the program to be extended to other emerging markets. Soon enough, Android One devices were released for emerging mobile markets such as Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and more. Despite a long hiatus, Android One is back with more firepower, ready to conquer the market of budget mobile phones.“Essentially, the goal is for Android One to facilitate the spread of Google-controlled Android among the next billion (or two billion, or more) smartphone buyers by offering a compelling entry-level product, aided by local OEMs. In turn, the fact that manufacturers won't need to worry about software or sourcing hardware components means they can turn around products more quickly. From Google's perspective, Android One lets the maintain more control than is possible in the wild west that is the general Android ecosystem, and ensure that Google services and Google's design language are front and center.”
Android One vs Android – what’s the difference?
There’s more to what makes Android One devices different from the regular Android devices than simple branding. You can regard Android One different from the rest of the pack just like the Pixel/Nexus devices stand out. Google supports Android One devices just the way it backs the Pixel devices every step of the way, but the support is limited to software.Since Pixel and Android One devices are separated by hundreds of dollars, the stark difference in hardware specs is expected. Although the software is controlled entirely by Google on Android One devices, the hardware is backed by Android OEMs. This makes the user experience a lot “purer” on Android One compared to other Android devices.Why Android One is the future
Released back in August, Android 8.0 Oreo is only a 0.3% shareholder in the Android OS market today. The statistics for Nougat (23.3%) and Marshmallow (29.7%) show that manufacturers are simply not able to up the pace. The fact that there are 40% Android devices still running KitKat and Lollipop highlights the severe issue of fragmentation.What makes Android One the perfect fit is that it maintains a balance between the best software and appropriate hardware. While the list of Android budget mobile phones isn’t a short one, ones that offer dedicated software support is limited. It is in Google’s best interest to get users of older Android devices (and entice newcomers) to join the Android One platform.Android One devices out right now
After a fair bit of support in India and several other Asian countries, Android One slowed down the roll. African and Middle Eastern nations have now joined the party, along the more developed countries like Japan and Netherlands with their own Android One devices. With Android One is making its way to the US mobile market, the brand is trending a lot more.Now that Google is partnering up with some big players, the sub-$100 price tag seems to be fading away. The current and upcoming Android One devices feature a mid-tier pricing compared to the budget mobile phones of the past. The complete list of the current Android One devices is on the official Google website, but here’s a quick look at the most popular Android One budget mobile phones available right now.HTC U11 Life
Made in the image of the flagship HTC U11, the Android One edition of the HTC U11 Life is the first device to come with Android 8.0 right out of the box. The device comes with a stunning Liquid Surface design with features like IP67 dust and water resistance. It also includes the iconic Edge Sense that allows you to activate features by simply squeezing the phone.Moto X4
Motorola's first Android One device released for the US consumers is the Moto X4. The phone is also currently among the cheapest Project Fi capable budget mobile phones right now. When it comes to specs, the Moto X4 matches the HTC U11 Life at every point but comes with a lot more than just the same Snapdragon 630 SoC and 4GB of RAM.Xiaomi Mi A1
Just like the Moto X4, Xiaomi’s first Android One device, the Mi A1 got updated to Android 8.0 Oreo recently. Apart from the dual-lens 12MP camera that makes it a great phone for photography fans, it's relatively cheaper too. The Mi A1 is the face of the Android One platform, with an expected rollout to more than 40 countries.Android One Japan
The Asia Pacific is a huge market for upcoming smartphones, including Android One which is rolling out through multiple vendors. The first name on the list is Sharp S1, packing an MSM8937 processor, 16GB of internal storage and 2GB of RAM. Under a similar name, Kyocera S2 is rolling out with an MSM8917 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.General Mobile
The upcoming brand is betting strongly on bringing the pure Android experience to its users with multiple Android One devices. The GM5 and larger GM5 Plus devices in Turkey, along with the GM6 in Netherlands, Italy and other markets are taking up a huge chunk of the user base.What is Android Oreo (Go edition)?
You thought that spending the minimum of $100 on an affordable Android One phone was the best you could do? Google is redefining what good budget mobile phones on Android can do with the Android Oreo (Go edition). Android Go is designed to be a lightweight version of the Android 8.0 Oreo OS, along with its own set of "Go" apps. The Android Go version is specifically built to run on devices with as low as 1GB of RAM capacity.Google is committed to bringing Android Oreo Go to dirt cheap smartphones very soon, with an official webpage already up. The AndroidOreo Go OS itself is expected to take up only half the space of the original Android 8.0. This is definitely a godsend for cheaper Android devices that with minimal internal storage space. Not just the Android OS, but Google’s also launching an entire suite of Google apps with the “Go” branding.What devices will run Android Oreo Go?
As MKBHD puts it – good phones are getting cheap and cheap phones are getting good. Even by those standards, Google is pushing the absolute limits by bringing the latest Android version to super-cheap devices. While the details aren’t clear yet, there are rumors from India that Google is partnering with Micromax. There's quite the buzz that the Indian Android OEM will bring out a $30 Android Go smartphone.Considering that the Nokia 1 is will be cheaper than the Nokia 2, it'll be powered by Android Go too. Either way, we’ll keep you updated on the topic with our weekly Android software roundup posts. What are your thoughts on Android One the future of budget mobile phones with Android Oreo (Go edition)? Be sure to let us know in the comments section down below.Hi! It will receive Android Oreo. 1GB RAM devices will be supported on 8.1 release where many of the Android Go memory management improvements will be integrated. Nokia 2 performance will only get better over time!
— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) December 28, 2017
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