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Google officially announced its Android One program at Google I/O 2014, and most recently the program expanded into the Philippines with devices running Android 5.1.
The Android One program is designed to get as many low-cost Android-based devices in as many international markets as possible, making it possible to connect as many people as possible to the world around them. It’s a noble effort indeed, especially as Google intends to keep the Android One devices updated to the latest version of the mobile platform, so the devices don’t start to underperform and weaken the experience for users.
Unfortunately, the international rollout hasn’t been as grandiose as Google may have wanted. According to Google’s Vice President of Product Management, Ceasar Sengupta, while speaking with Economic Times, Android One simply wasn’t available in all channels that the company would have liked at launch. Moving forward, Google is focused on working with OEMs to make sure that the newest version of Android is delivered to the handsets that are already out in the wild, and in making sure that it’s easy to actually buy an Android One handset as well.
Right now, Google is working with OEMs to push out Android 5.1.1 to the One-branded handsets.
Sengupta added that Google is “pretty committed” to the Android One program, and that the company is looking at the idea of delivering specific devices to specific markets through specific carriers, which could help boost the availability of handsets across the world.
[via Economic Times]
