Spice To Launch Its Budget Android One & Firefox Phone Before Diwali | TechTree.com

Spice To Launch Its Budget Android One & Firefox Phone Before Diwali

The low-end smartphone market is all-set to get a boost with both devices expected to cost under Rs 6,000.

 

Homegrown smartphone manufacturer Spice is all-set to launch its affordable Firefox Phone and Android One Smartphone in India before the festival of Diwali. The two devices will further bolster the bottom end of the smartphone market in the country, which has already emerged as the fastest growing in the world.

"We will have the handsets in before Diwali. These phones are designed for driving connectivity at affordable prices,” said T M Ramakrishnan, CEO of Spice Retail, according to a PTI report.

Earlier this year Mozilla tied up with Intex and Spice to bring its Firefox OS smartphones to India. Among the rumoured devices will be a $25 phone (approximately Rs 1,500) that could be introduced to compete with feature phones.

Google on the other hand has announced its partnership with Spice, Karbonn and Micromax at I/O earlier this year. Android One would yield smartphones in the sub $100 (approximately Rs 6,000) range, but with the major difference of Google themselves controlling the software experience.

[Also read: Google To Spend Rs 100 Crore To Publicise Android One In India]

Both Mozilla and Google have picked companies like Spice to roll out their budget devices, given the company's experience serving the exact segment of the market. Over 85 percent of Spice's portfolio is priced under Rs 8,000 and the company has a great network of distributors in tier II and tier III cities.

Competition in the Indian market is heating up with the entry of brands like Xaiomi and Asus, who are bringing devices that are not only cheaper but also offer more compelling specifications than those from Indian brands. Domestic companies now have to look at different ways to differentiate themselves from the foreign manufacturers, and Android One and the Firefox initiative seem like the perfect solutions.

[Also read: Google To Tie Up With MediaTek For Android One]

It has also been revealed that Tech giant Google will spend Rs 100 crore in promoting Android One in India. Timing the launch of the devices with the festive season could also play into the hands of Spice that is looking to boost its revenues to Rs 2,000 crore this year.


TAGS: Spice, Google, Mozilla, Android One, Firefox OS, budget smartphone

 
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