Google’s Android One Series Review: Budget, But Not Game Changing!

Google finally launched its Android One smartphone series in India with Micromax, Spice and Karbonn, where each model is priced below Rs. 6,500.

The three new Android One models- Karbonn Sparkle V, Micromax Canvas A1, and Spice Dream Uno- are up for sale with the respective e-retailer and will soon be available through retail stores in the first week of October.

With steep completion in the below Rs. 7,000 segment, how good are the new Android One models?

In terms of hardware and features, all three models from different Indian manufacturers, Micromax, Spice and Karbonn, are the same. However, the competition comes from Motorola’s popular Moto G and recently launched Xiaomi Redmi 1S.

For looks, Micromax Canvas A1 looks and feels similar to Karbonn Sparkle V and Spice Dream Uno, except for few ignorable aesthetic design changes.

All Android One models are made of plastic and are easy on the grip, so there isn’t much to complain here. The soft rounded corners of all models are average.

The Micromax model comes with a 4.5-inch FWVGA(480x854p) IPS display, which is decent if not the best. Compared to Moto E and Redmi 1S, the color and display remains on the lower side.

The keys are in plastic for the volume control and power, while there is the regular micro-USB port and top-positioned 3.5mm headset.

All the models under the Android One series are powered with a MediaTek 6582 chipset with four processors clocking in 1.3 GHz. The onboard storage is limited to 4GB with 1GB of RAM. Android one models are fueled with a 1700 mAh battery and come loaded with Android KitKat v4.4.

In terms of Camera features, there isn’t much that Android One models have to offer. The 5-MP rear camera is comparable to that of Moto E but comes with LED flash and surely doesn’t match to the 8 MP camera of Redmi 1s. However, unlike the Moto E and the average camera of Redmi, Android One phones have a 2MP front camera.

All the Android phones have been designed with the Indian customer in mind, and therefore, there is a slot for the microSD card and two SIM slots (both GSM) for all three models.

Where the Android One phones will score is certainly the software as Google has promised that these phones will be the first to get the Android L Update.

Whether Moto E gets the same is unclear, but Redmi surely lacks behind as it runs on Android Jellybean but with a heavily customized version. Xiaomi has promised an update for Redmi 1s before the year ends, so that side may get thumbs up.

Overall, Android One certainly scores big with Google’s name attached to the models, but it remains to be seen on how they compete with Moto E and even the powerful Xiaomi Redmi 1s, which boasts of better hardware.

For those who don’t want to get into the trap of Xiaomi’s flash sales and wish for better Android features, Android One series is decent for the money. All models are budget and effective, but not game changers!

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