During Google I/O, Google announced the Android One. For those unfamiliar with Android One, it is basically a hardware reference design by Google that will allow manufacturers to create affordable Android handsets for markets where high-end smartphones are pretty much out of reach for the masses.
Companies such as Micromax, Karbonn Mobile, and Spice Mobile are said to be getting in on the program where they will manufacture Android One devices for developing markets like India. That being said, how does Google plan on keeping prices low? Well according to a report from DigiTimes, they claim that their sources have informed them that MediaTek will be the company of choice for the chipsets used in the device.
Most high-end smartphones tend to use Qualcomm’s chipsets in their products. This isn’t to say that MediaTek or other brands aren’t that good, but for the most part MediaTek’s chipsets have typically found their way into budget offerings. During I/O, Google showed off a handset built by Micromax.
The device in question featured a 4.5-inch display and dual SIM functionality, and while they did not mention which processor it would use, DigiTimes’ sources claim that it was powered by a MediakTek chipset, the dual-core MT6575 processor to be exact. Their sources goes on to state that if this partnership proves successful, we could expect to see MediaTek’s chipsets make its way into future Google products as well.
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