Google launches Android One, phones in India priced around Rs 6,400

Google launched in India on Monday the first smartphones powered by its Android One operating system, pricing them at around 6,399 rupees ($105) to capture the low-cost segment of the world’s fastest growing smartphone market.   Google launched the phones in partnership with Indian mobile phone makers Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles. We saw the Spice’s Android One Dream UNO Mi-498 pop its head for sometime before it was subsequently pulled out and now Karbonn’s Sparkle V Red is listed on Snapdeal for Rs 6,399.  Google says it plans to expand Android One to Indonesia, Phillippines and other South Asian countries by the end of 2014 and in more countries in 2015.   Android One is believed to come with support for several local languages including Hindi. This means it would put an end to problems related to language barrier and one can easily send voice commands, text messages using a local language like Hindi.  This also means, the company aims to attract the country’s non-English speaking user base and eventually tap on the potential mobile growth in India.   If the chatter on the web is to be believed than Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications are likely to offer bundled data plans with the Android One smartphones.   With input from Reuters