Google wants manufacturers to make devices from 30-45 euros with stock Android

Google wants manufacturers to release Android devices in the near future with stock Android in its Android One program with a purchase price of between 30 and 45 euros. Current Android One devices are around 100 euros and therefore too expensive, according to Google.

Due to the lower prices, Google hopes to gain a larger market share in India with its Android One devices, which is considered one of the largest growth markets for the smartphone industry. A Google CEO tells business newspaper the Financial Times that it sees the price between 2000 and 3000 rupees, currently converted between 30 and 45 euros, as a ‘sweet spot’ to sell large numbers. The current generation of Android One devices is not only too expensive, but manufacturers also struggle with delivery problems.

Android One includes devices from various mainly smaller manufacturers, with Google providing the devices with updates. This is possible because although the design is different, many components are the same, such as the processor, screen and memory. Android One phones, like Nexus devices, get updates quickly with new versions of Android.

In addition, Google is developing more and more services that no longer assume that users have a fast data connection at their disposal. That is why offline components have emerged from services such as Google Maps and YouTube. One of the other issues that Google has yet to address is the heaviness of updates. Updates of pre-installed apps can demand a lot of data traffic per month, while not every user has access to a large data bundle or WiFi.

It is unknown what the specifications will be of the cheaper Android One devices. Google says the new strategy should become visible in the coming weeks.