What is Android One and should you buy a phone powered by it?

Google and its hardware partners - Micromax, Spice and Karbonn -- on Monday launched three Android One phones. For Google, Android One is a big deal. In fact it is so important that Sundar Pichai, arguably the most powerful man in the phone industry and one of the most influential Google executives, flew down from his Mountain View office to New Delhi for the event.

Why is it so? What is so important about Android One? And more importantly, what is there in it for you, the consumer? Read on, we have the answers.

What is Android One?

Android One is a Google programme where it is partnering with phone companies to create "high-quality" but low-cost Android smartphone. The programme was announced in June by Pichai and India is the first country where the company is launching Android One phones.

According to Google, Android One programme is its attempt to create affordable smartphones so that billions of people who still use a feature phone can buy a smartphone. Of course, this is the stated aim. We suspect that Google has one more motive. With Android One it also wants to wrest back the control of the Android ecosystem from companies like Samsung, Sony and LG.

I get that. But how are Android One phones different from other Android phones? After all, other Android phones also use Google's Android.

True, other Android phones also use Google's Android. But barring the Nexus phones, most of these devices use AOSP version of Android, which is the barebones version of the OS. Different phone companies take AOSP and then put their own user interface and apps in it. They also remove and add features. The end result is not exactly the Android that Google wants you to have. It is the Android that Samsung, LG or HTC want you to get.

For high-end phones, these customisations work decently well. But in the low-end phones, which don't have powerful hardware, the performance suffers.

Android One is different. First of all, it has- despite its similarities with the regular version of Android - some extra customisation that makes it more suitable to low-end hardware. At least that is what Google says. Second, it doesn't have any third-party user interface or unnecessary features. It is the version of Android created by Google. This means when you buy an Android One phone, you get the Android experience that Google has designed for you and not Micromax or Spice.

With normal Android phones, the company selling the phone is responsible for choosing right hardware and software for the devices. For Android One phone, Google is in the driver's seat. It finalises the hardware and software.

More importantly, Google is also responsible for delivering software updates to Android One phones. This means you can expect Android One phones to get latest version of Android - next is Android L -- without much delay unlike normal low-end Android phones, which are rarely updated. Google is promising that every Android One phone will get updates for at least two years.

I don't care about modified or unmodified versions of Android. Is there any other reason why I should buy an Android One phone?

While the unmodified version of Android and the smooth performance it promises is the main appeal of an Android One phone, there are some other perks as well. If you are an Airtel customer, on your Android One phone you will get 100MB every month free to download OS updates and 200MB free every month to download app updates for six months.

Android One looks quite good. What kind of Android One phones I can buy and at what price?

Only three Android One phones are available as of now. And currently, you can get them only in India and at specific e-commerce sites. The Spice Dream UNO is available at Flipkart at a price of Rs 6,299. The Karbonn Sparkle V is available at Snapdeal at a price of Rs 6,399. And Micromax Canvas A1 is available at Amazon India at a price of Rs 6,499.

All three are entry-level Android phones and hence pack in rather modest hardware. In terms of hardware, all three use same hardware. Each one has a 4.5-inch screen with 854 X 480 pixels resolution, MediaTek quad-core processor running at 1.3GHz, 1GB RAM, 4GB internal storage, support for microSD card, 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. The only major difference is the brand name and design.

I can't buy phone online. Will I be able to buy Android One phones in local market?

According to Google, you will. But it will take at least a few weeks before you can get an Android phone in brick and mortar shops.

I am outside India, will I be able to buy an Android One phone?

While there is no specific date so far, Google plans to launch Android One phones across the world, especially in developing markets. In fact, on Monday Pichai said that Indonesia, Philippines, Nepal, Pakistan and other South Asian countries are next in line to get Android One phones.

I don't like Indian brands. Can't we buy Android One phones made by multinational companies like HTC or Samsung?

We are not sure about Samsung but Google on Monday revealed that HTC will be among nine other hardware partners -- HTC, Lava, Xolo, Intex, Asus, Alcatel Onetouch, Lenovo, and Panasonic - who will start making Android One phones.

Does the presence of HTC mean we will get a high-end phone running Android One?

We doubt that Google will come out with a high-end Android One phone but Pichai hinted that more powerful and fancy phones will be created as part of the programme. The first three phones are just the beginning, he said. May be the next wave of Android One phones will pack in more powerful hardware and cost somewhere over Rs 10,000.

Ok, final question. I am looking to buy a good smartphone with a budget of around Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. Should I buy an Android One phone?

We suggest that before you pull the trigger and order the Android One phone from an online site, wait for our review. It will be out soon. But if you can't wait, based on our preliminary observation we feel confident in recommending an Android One phone. The performance is decent and for their price, these phones look good. All three offer similar kind of hardware so you can buy any of them.