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Announced in 2014, Google’s Android One program allows third-party smartphone makers to release phones that run a pure, unmodified version of Android operating system. This way, the same kind of software experience doesn’t remain restricted or exclusive to Google’s Pixel lineup. Because let’s be honest, although Google Phones have top notch offerings, not everyone can afford to spend such a hefty amount of money on a smartphone only for stock Android experience (and timely OS and security updates, and camera of course).
With that in mind, Google has been busy working with select smartphone makers like Xiaomi, Motorola and Nokia for having smartphones that fall under their Android One initiative. And interestingly enough, smartphones falling under Android One are promised regular OS and security software updates at least for two years from the date of release. In India, there are very limited number of smartphones backed by Android One. Here’s the list.
Xiaomi Mi A1 came to India last year as a rebranded Mi 5X. But in addition to the new name, there was another change that was perhaps the biggest one. Xiaomi had its first phone to join Google’s Android One program in the firm. And except Mi A1 till the date, all other Xiaomi phones in India run custom MIUI skin. Xiaomi Mi A1 sports a 5.5-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Protection. Inside is Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB expandable storage.
The handset houses 12MP+12MP dual rear sensors and 5MP selfie camera. Although it initially came running Android Nougat out of the box, Xiaomi rolled out Android Oreo update earlier in 2018. It features USB Type-C port at the bottom and packs a 3,080mAh battery under the hood.
At MWC 2018 in Barcelona earlier this year, HMD Global announced a whole new lineup of Nokia branded Android phones falling under Android One program. The list of Android One Nokia smartphones include Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco. Out of these three smartphones, Nokia 6 (2018) is a mid-range smartphone, which has been a part of our list of best smartphones you can under under Rs 20,000 for last two months.
Also Read: Nokia 6 (2018) Review
Nokia 6 (2018) sports a 5.5-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) screen featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Internally, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB expandable storage. It houses a 16MP primary camera on the back and 8MP front camera for selfies.
Nokia 7 Plus has been a part of several lists of best mid-range smartphones released in India so far this year. And for the same reason we have added it to this list too. It runs a pure, stock Android software out of the box, courtesy of Google’s Android One initiative that guarantees regular OS and security updates for two years. But apart from that, it has a lot more that contributes equally and justifies its Rs 25,999 price tag.
Also Read: Nokia 7 Plus Review
Specs-wise, Nokia 7 Plus has a 6-inch Full HD+ screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. In terms of optics, it has dual rear cameras by Zeiss optics setup on the back. Up front, there is a 16MP selfie shooter. The handset gets its grunts from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC, 4GB RAM and Adreno 512 GPU for graphics. It packs 64GB of expandable storage and 3,800mAh battery under the hood.
Nokia 8 Sirocco is the most expensive Android One smartphone currently available in India. It sports 2,560 x 1,440 pixels stretched across a 5.5-inch screen, which is further protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Also Read: Nokia 8 Sirocco Review
Powering the handset is Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 835 chipset coupled with 6GB RAM and Adreno 540 GPU for graphics. It offers a 12MP+12MP dual camera with 2x optical zoom and Zeiss optics and 5MP selfie camera. It is backed by a 3,260mAh battery.
