Google today announced that Android One will be expanding beyond Asia. The company’s budget-focused stock Android smartphones are heading to six countries in Africa, though for now there’s only one available handset.
A recent study by Internet Society study shows that 23% of mobile phones will be able to connect to the Internet in Africa by the end of this year and the Android One program hopes to contribute to that growth by launching today in Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria in collaboration with hardware manufacturer Infinix.
Android One represents Google’s push to lower the prices of smartphones in less developed parts of the world where computers are considered a luxury. Google consults with device makers to build cheap phones that can still run the latest version of its Android software.
The Infinix HOT 2 phone offers a high-quality experience, with a fast quad-core MediaTek processor, dual SIM slots, front and rear-facing cameras, a FM radio tuner, and 16GB internal memory (further expandable) for all your favorite movies and music. The standard version, with 1GB memory, is available in black, white, blue and red, and the premium version (with 2GB memory) is available in gold.
According to Google Africa official blog, the HOT 2, is now available in Nigeria at select retail outlets and via online retailer Jumia at a recommended retail price of $87. It’s also available to purchase online from Jumia in Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Morocco.
Beyond promising regular Android updates, Google is also planning to rollout offline YouTube support later this year. The feature will make it possible to save videos for later and then watch them in the next 48 hours, even without an Internet connection.
