Android One in India: Google Admits They Made Mistakes in 2014

Google’s Android One project started off in September of 2014. The phones developed under this brand were aimed at offering the users with a low-cost solution to high-end software features. In the past, Google was strict with their hardware requirements when it came to these devices. However, having realized their mistake, Google has relaxed these norms now. The company launched the Xiaomi Mi A1 – Xiaomi’s first Android One device in India yesterday. (We had reported that Xiaomi was working on such a phone)

Following the launch of the phone, Google admitted that they had made some mistakes when it came to the Indian smartphone markets. The company said that back when they launched in 2014, the “initial timing and messaging” was wrong.

A quick look at the specifications of the Xiaomi Mi A1

What Went Wrong With Google’s Android One Efforts in 2014?

When Google originally launched the Android One devices in the country, they aimed at the lower tier of Android phones. These were priced in at about 6,000 to 9,000 INR. However, the problem arose when it came to Google’s hardware requirements – they were very strict and manufacturers had to prescribe to them.

The biggest challenge that Google faced in 2014 and subsequent years was that the Indian smartphone markets had a cutthroat competition going on at the low-budget segment. Xiaomi had just emerged in India, names such as Micromax, Karbonn and Lava were already established players in this segment and offered way better features at the same price.

Xiaomi has, for the first time, dropped MIUI over Stock Android OS.

Having realized their mistake in 2017, Xiaomi’s Android One device, the Xiaomi Mi A1 is actually a mid-budget device, priced in at INR 14,999. The phone comes out with better hardware than most other Android One smartphones in the past as Google has finally relaxed the rules. Till as late as July of this year, it was almost laughable to think of Xiaomi ever releasing a phone without their MIUI User Interface. However, the reality is stranger than fiction and this is the first Xiaomi smartphone running the stock Android OS!

Would you be interested in purchasing this smartphone? Does stock Android boost Xiaomi’s credibility? Comment below and let us know your opinions!

Source: Economic Times