Google’s Pixel was an incredibly expensive Flagship device, but we now have news that Google is getting ready enter the market for cheap smartphones. It hopes to cooperate closely with a hardware manufacturer to launch a device priced US$300 or less in the first half of 2017 this year.
This new handphone will be part of Google’s “Android One” programme. The program first debuted in India in 2014. Google is asking those involved in the Android One program, more specifically, their manufacturers to produce devices that will adhere closely guidelines so that a pure Android experience will be what users receive and there won’t be any unnecessary customizations or bloatware. Google will support its manufacturers with ad campaigns to help with sales too.
Budget phones though, are everywhere now. There isn’t a shortage of them at all. Telcos regularly give off low-cost smartphones and pretty much every company has a cheap device you can get for $100-$200. However, these devices are often subpar in quality with horrible hardware and outdated Android software.
Furthermore, most manufacturers customise the user interface of Android to give their phones a unique look and feel. This gives each company’s phone a signature look, but it comes at the cost of bloatware. Personally, I find the stock Android look much more appealing. In addition, Google doesn’t like this kind of customisation as it undoes some of the work that the company itself has spent trying to design Android, and also because these various tweaks by manufacturers hinder the update process across Android OS phone.
