Android One—you know, that Google-backed initiative that aims to bring cheap smartphones to the five billion people who still doesn’t have one—has arrived in the Philippines. And the first two local companies to team up for the initiative are Cherry Mobile and MyPhone.
Two Android One devices from these two program partners have been unveiled, namely, the Cherry Mobile One and the MyPhone Uno. Both have the Android Lollipop preinstalled and will be priced around Php5,000. Despite its relatively affordable price, these initial Android One offerings promise reasonably powerful hardware.
In addition, part of the Android One initiative is to reduce data costs through measures such as offline playback on YouTube and data compression on the Google Chrome browser. Android One users will also be able to download and install Android updates over the air at no cost through the Smart and Sun Cellular networks. Users also get to download an undisclosed number of Google Play apps for free for the first six months of using their Android One device. Globe also has something in store for Android One users, but the company hasn’t revealed any specific details so far.
Android One first launched in India. After covering four other countries, it has finally arrived in the Philippines.