Smartphones for the masses.
Google announced today it is finally offering the much-anticipated Android One smartphones in the Philippines. This comes five months after the Android One program first launched in India.
Two Android One phones will be available in the Philippines, made by homegrown phone brands Cherry Mobile and MyPhone.
Caesar Sengupta, Google’s vice president for product management, says that the new phones – the Cherry One and MyPhone Uno – will be sold for below PHP5,000 (US$113).
Both the Cherry One and MyPhone Uno run Android 5.0 “Lollipop”, the latest version of Google’s OS. Both models come with features tailored for Filipinos, such as dual SIM capability, FM radio tuner, micro-SD card slot, and front- and rear-facing cameras.
Saving money
The phones also have features such as Chrome browser data compression and YouTube Offline to help Filipinos save on money, according to Sengupta. He adds that telco partners will offer promotional plans to reduce the costs of over-the-air updates to the OS, as well as app downloads from Google Play.
The Philippines is the sixth country to get Android One, following India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
The Android One phones will be available at Cherry Mobile and MyPhone outlets in the Philippines in the coming weeks.
Editing by Steven Millward; image taken from Google Asia-Pacific blog
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