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Google CEO Says Next Wave Of Affordable Smartphones Should Cost $30 (phandroid.com)

Posted by msmash on from the dirt-cheap-smartphones dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Google started the Android One program to get affordable smartphones into all corners of the globe. Those devices cost around $100, which is very good for an up-to-date device. However, Google CEO Sundar Pichai doesn't think $100 is good enough. Even $50 is too much. His goal is $30. "The right price point for smartphones in India is $30, and pursuing high-quality smartphones at the price point will unlock it even more." ndia currently has the largest base of Android users, and most of those users have phones that cost less than $150. Pichai went on to say that cheaper devices are only part of the solution. They also need services that can run reliably on "flaky" networks. He says Google is working on making more services adapt to slow internet.

4 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. Follow the leader... by Hydrian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This coming from the company that taking away their affordable mid-ranged phones and has only released an expensive high end phone. Google needs to lead... not order.

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    No good deed goes unpunished.
  2. Easily done by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He says Google is working on making more services adapt to slow internet.

    Ad-free solves 90%+ of the bandwidth problem for many uses. And killing off the financial viability of youtube and facebook is a great idea. I'd be happy to pay $10 a month for 1 gig of ad-free, graphics-free, css and javascript free internet.

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    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    1. Re:Easily done by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The original web was just fine with no javascript, no css, and no "let's try to make html into a page layout language and let's turn the web browser from an html document viewer into an application platform."

      Javascript is a mistake, same as CSS. Just look around, you'll see how bad things have gotten if you take off the rose-colored glasses.

      Text messages have no problem with usability, even though they're limited to plain text and the occasional image. Sure a heck of a lot better than twitter.

      Forums such as slashdot could easily be replaced by bringing back usenet. Threading discussions were around long before the web. So were text-only BBSes that were actually more secure than anything you'll see nowadays on the web. 99% of the web today is shit - and that's if you're being optimistic.

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      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  3. It doesn't matter if it's $30 or $300 by OrangeTide · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I should be able to get software updates for a phone for at least 10 years before I have to replace it. That it costs $300 is not so big of a deal if I'm not buying a replacement every 2 years.

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    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire