Lava and Intex, among a new set of Indian handset makers on the Google's Android One programme, are likely to bring handsets based on the project early next year.
Rather than a single Android One device each - as was launched by Micromax, Karbonn and Spice on Monday - Lava and Intex are likely to roll out a range of devices simultaneously, which would offer different specifications such as larger screens and better camera quality at wider price points. "It will take us at least three to four months (to launch the devices)," said Intex's head for mobile phones Sanjay Kalirona.
The first Android One smartphones from the new set of local players will start shipping after January, said Lava International's cofounder and managing director, SN Rai. Lava owns the Xolo brand under which it sells smartphones, while the parent brand also sells feature phones apart from smartphones.
Lava and Xolo will be able to tap into their own design houses, in a way becoming original design manufacturers due to which they will be able to drive price optimisation much deeper through their systems, Rai added. In other words, they may well be able to offer devices with higher specifications at competitive prices. More details on the new smartphones are expected to be revealed in the coming months.
Lava is one of nine handset makers that Google's head of Android, Chrome and apps, Sundar Pichai, announced as new partners who will make smartphones under the Android One umbrella, Google's initiative to offer rich smartphone experience on low-cost devices with set hardware and software standards across handset makers. Lava is India's No. 4 smartphone vendor with a 6% share of the market as per IDC. Intex is a much smaller player.
Pichai said on Monday that Google has also signed up international smartphone makers Acer, Asus, HTC, Lenovo, Panasonic and Alcatel One Touch under the project to connect the next five billion people with the Internet and Internet-enabled devices. Going forward, he said, vendors will be free to choose among a set of specifications to make smartphones, allowing faster updates and better Android experience.
The new leg of home-bred handset makers are likely to follow the footsteps of Micromax, Karbonn and Spice that began selling the first Android One phones - Canvas A1, Sparkle V and Dream Uno - respectively, through Amazon, Snapdeal and Flipkart. Micromax had sold out its first lot of 20,000-22,000 on Amazon on day one.
Micromax, Karbonn and Spice, which hold about 30% of the smartphone market in India, will begin selling the phones offline across 200,000 retail outlets countrywide next month and train staff to educate customers about the devices. Spice Mobility's chairman, Dilip Modi, told ET that the company's Spice Hot Spot retail stores will be converted to Android One stores for pushing sales, a model that the newer players just might follow.
Source : Economic Times.
Rather than a single Android One device each - as was launched by Micromax, Karbonn and Spice on Monday - Lava and Intex are likely to roll out a range of devices simultaneously, which would offer different specifications such as larger screens and better camera quality at wider price points. "It will take us at least three to four months (to launch the devices)," said Intex's head for mobile phones Sanjay Kalirona.
The first Android One smartphones from the new set of local players will start shipping after January, said Lava International's cofounder and managing director, SN Rai. Lava owns the Xolo brand under which it sells smartphones, while the parent brand also sells feature phones apart from smartphones.
Lava and Xolo will be able to tap into their own design houses, in a way becoming original design manufacturers due to which they will be able to drive price optimisation much deeper through their systems, Rai added. In other words, they may well be able to offer devices with higher specifications at competitive prices. More details on the new smartphones are expected to be revealed in the coming months.
Lava is one of nine handset makers that Google's head of Android, Chrome and apps, Sundar Pichai, announced as new partners who will make smartphones under the Android One umbrella, Google's initiative to offer rich smartphone experience on low-cost devices with set hardware and software standards across handset makers. Lava is India's No. 4 smartphone vendor with a 6% share of the market as per IDC. Intex is a much smaller player.
Pichai said on Monday that Google has also signed up international smartphone makers Acer, Asus, HTC, Lenovo, Panasonic and Alcatel One Touch under the project to connect the next five billion people with the Internet and Internet-enabled devices. Going forward, he said, vendors will be free to choose among a set of specifications to make smartphones, allowing faster updates and better Android experience.
The new leg of home-bred handset makers are likely to follow the footsteps of Micromax, Karbonn and Spice that began selling the first Android One phones - Canvas A1, Sparkle V and Dream Uno - respectively, through Amazon, Snapdeal and Flipkart. Micromax had sold out its first lot of 20,000-22,000 on Amazon on day one.
Micromax, Karbonn and Spice, which hold about 30% of the smartphone market in India, will begin selling the phones offline across 200,000 retail outlets countrywide next month and train staff to educate customers about the devices. Spice Mobility's chairman, Dilip Modi, told ET that the company's Spice Hot Spot retail stores will be converted to Android One stores for pushing sales, a model that the newer players just might follow.
Source : Economic Times.
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