Is Google Planning To Spend 100 Crore on Android One Advertizing?


BANGALORE: Google is gearing up to spend more than 100 crore with its partners on advertising and marketing for the $100 Android One smartphone, reports Economic Times.

India being one of the fastest growing smartphone market in Asia-Pacific region, with an increased rate of 186 percent in the first quarter of 2014.

The launch is planned in October for Diwali, when Sundar Pichai, the senior V-P at Google is expected to visit India during that time.

Santosh Desai, MD & CEO of Futurebrands India said, "The smartphone market has become so competitive that you can't sneak into it. You need to enter with a splash. With launch cycles getting shorter, you get only one chance to make an impression”.

Android One is Google's big emerging market stake to reach 5 billion people across the world, whereas Google has sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo and is in the process of transferring this unit. Motorola sold 1 million phones in 5 months from launch, by selling it exclusively through online retailer Flipkart. Vendors shipped around 17.6 million smartphones in the first quarter of 2014, according to IDC, which tracks mobile phone shipments.

The Android One phones will be created and sold by Micromax, Karbonn and Spice. Google will supply hardware reference points for these companies to support the phone’s launch. Moreover it will provide software and subsequent updates for the phones.

Sundar Pichai said at Google I/O that they have been working with Micromax to create the first of such phones with a 4.5-inch screen, dual SIM slot, FM radio and expandable memory. Other hardware manufacturers such as Intex and Celkon have also collaborated with Google for Android One.

Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner, said, "Lower price points will be great for a market like India where more than 70 per cent of sales still come from feature phones.”

Google also has plans to launch Android One in other emerging markets such as Indonesia.

READ MORE: New System That Helps You Secure Your Data

Tech Tycoons Who Refuse To Leave Their Fortune To Their Kids