Android Go is a No Go in India
A year down the line, Google’s marquee undertaking to accumulate the next billion Android users hasn’t picked up steam as expected. It’s been extra than 12 months on account that Google introduced its Android Go program to make entry-stage phones greater usable and of greater importance to encourage characteristic cellphone customers to make the jump to smartphones. Over the three hundred and sixty-five days, we also noticed some most important manufacturers like Samsung and Nokia, and Xiaomi, saying their Android Go telephones for India. Some Indian brands like Lava and Micromax also adopted the platform early to provide exceptionally standard Android Go telephones.
The Android Go software was introduced to bridge the space among feature phone customers and smartphones. The intention changed to convey the fee of Android phones down an excellent way to make them an appealing option for feature phone customers to improve. However, primarily based on records shared using analysts, feature telephones nevertheless dominate the access-degree marketplace that starts offevolved from beneath Rs 5,000. In truth, “this (CY 2018) is the first time the function smartphone market grew faster than the phone marketplace. India remains the most important market in phrases of world characteristic cellphone quantity. This highlights that while India is a quick-developing cellphone marketplace, function phones continue to be applicable for a big phase of the populace,” Counterpoint Research Analyst Tarun Pathak noted in a studies word.
As of January 2019, Jio, Samsung, iTel, HMD Global’s Nokia, and Lava are the top 5 gamers in India’s function cellphone marketplace (under Rs five,000). A year down the line, Android Go telephones don’t seem anywhere close to creating a dent in that phase. So what went wrong? Digit. I spoke to 3 analysts primarily based in India to determine why Google’s promise hasn’t been realized.
A loss of enthusiasm from the manufacturers
“For Android Go, there has never been this sort of loud voice earlier from brands like Nokia, Lava, Micromax, and the likes, or Google’s end for pushing the Android Go Gadgets. Because of this, there was no advertising initiative. Even within the retail stores, you received’t see promotional counters that talk about how vital an Android Go telephone is for the entry-stage customer,” IDC Analyst Upasana Joshi instructed Digit. In.
While each Samsung and Nokia got here out with Android Go telephones (Nokia virtually got here out in 2018), neither of the corporations did any dangerous promotional pastime to encourage users to buy them. Google did create a buzz while the organization introduced this system returned in December 2018. The employer did disseminate that the Android Go OS changed into tailored to run on phones with necessary hardware. Still, the initiative failed to instigate any vast traction for the section. Most Android Go telephones that launched in India game 1GB of RAM and around eight to 16GB of a garage. Everything else about the phones is quite simple. The cameras, the layout, and the additives give off the impression that an Android Go smartphone isn’t virtually the ‘lite’ version Google promised, however, a reasonably-priced one.
“We have now not visible an excellent uptake in Android Go phones till now because consumers sense this isn’t a ‘lite’ version, however, a form of a cheap version of Android,” Joshi delivered.
While IDC did now not proportion the exact marketplace percentage of Android Go phones in India, Joshi did say that analysts frequently visit retail stores to peer how consumers, retailers, and vendors feel about a particular brand. The shops and the vendors have an exact concept of what the customers are stressed, and Android Go phones don’t get the shelf-space or the mind space among key gamers currently, consistent with the analyst.
As against India, different emerging markets just like the Middle East and Africa have seen good uptake of Android Go phones. Counterpoint Research’s analysis located 3 out of the top 5 exceptional selling smartphones in South Africa is based on Android Go. The Nokia 1 became the best-promoting smartphone in South Africa in 2018, in keeping with the studies. In Bangladesh, IDC reports the marketplace relies on Android Go phones to pick up growth after the fourth sector of 2018 suggested a small two percentage growth, often fueled via Android Go telephones manufactured via a neighborhood participant.
Price continues to be a barrier.
More than a lackluster attempt from the manufacturers, it’s the highest high rate that has marred the adoption of Android Go telephones in India. Google’s plan with the Android Go software was to bridge the distance among the low fees of the 2G personal phones and the higher access price for 4G-enabled smartphones. That’s the reason the working system becomes made to work smoothly with low-give-up hardware. Using access-degree hardware has to maintain the fee of production down. However, sadly, most of the Android Go telephones released through local and global brands have breached the Rs five,000 marks in India.
