Android One phones – what are your options?

Android One is Google's platform designed to bring affordable Android phones to the masses. Originally launched in 2014, with the goal of offering cheap smartphones to emerging markets, Google announced a revamp of the program in 2017. Now, it has expanded worldwide to all markets, including the US, with the new goal of third-party OEMs selling Android One phones with a stock version of Android inside, and the promise of regular security and OS updates that will span at least two years for those phones.

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Your guide to Android One

Introduced to India back in 2014, Android One was an initiative meant to bring unity to a virtual wild west of low-end Android phones. Low-end phones in developing markets enjoyed little to no hardware or …

So which devies are part of the Android One phones program? We take a look at the current handsets that are considered to be Android One phones, and we also check out which phones will be part of the program in the future.

Current Android One Phones

Motorola Moto X4 (Android One)

The first Android One phone to be officially released in the US is a version of the Motorola Moto X4. It is sold directly by Google as part of its Project Fi carrier service. It has a 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and inside you will find Qualcomm's Snapdragon 630 processor and 3 GB of RAM, along with 32 GB of on-board storage. It has a front-facing 16 MP camera. and in the back there's a 12 MP primary camera sensor and an 8 MP secondary sensor for wide-angle and portrait shots. Finally, there's a 3,000 mAh battery which can be charged with its USB Type-C port.

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Moto X4 Android One review: return of the X

The Moto X4 revives the Moto X name, but it's no longer the Moto X we once knew. It now comes in the form of an Android One device and it joins Google's short list …

While the phone began shipping from Project Fi with Android 7.1.1 Nougat on board, the Android One phone version of the Moto X4 has since started receiving the promised update to Android 8.1 Oreo. The Android One version of the phone normally retails for $399 unlocked, but as of this writing, it's available for just $249 via Google Fi.

Specs

• 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor
• 3 GB of RAM
• 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 400 GB
• 12 MP rear camera and 8 MP secondary camera, 16 MP front camera
• Non-removable 3,000 mAh battery
• Android 8.1 Oreo
• 73.4 x 148.35 × 7.99, 163 g

Buy at Project Fi

HTC U11 Life (Android One)

 

The HTC U11 Life has many of the same software features as its bigger brother, the HTC U11. That includes its HTC Edge Sense features, which allow owners to just squeeze the sides of the phone to activate apps like Google Assistant. It also has the company's HTC USonic audio tuning for better sound and some excellent USB Type-C USonic earbuds. However, since this is an Android One phone, it still runs a stock version of Android 8.0 Oreo.

 

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HTC U11 Life (Android One) review

If you want a Google Pixel 2 but don't want to drop so much money on a phone, the HTC U11 Life with Android One is the next best thing. It's one of the "mid-range …

 

The phone itself has a 5.2-inch 1,920 x 1,080 resolution display, along with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor. It can be bought with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM, and with either 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage. Both the front and rear camera sensors are 16 MP and it has a 2,600 mAh battery. Keep in mind that the Android One version of the the HTC U11 Life is not the same one that's being sold by T-Mobile.  The Android One phones version is available at Amazon and other online retailers for a starting price of $350.

Specs

• 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor
• 3/4 GB of RAM
• 32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 400 GB
• 16 MP front and rear cameras
• Non-removable 2,600 mAh battery
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 149.09 x 72.9 x 8.1 mm, 142 g 

 

Buy at Amazon

Xiaomi Mi A1

 

This member of the Android One phones family was also one of the first introduced under the new direction for the program. The Xiaomi Mi A1 includes a  5.5-inch Full HD display, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 4GB of RAM and a roomy 64 GB of onboard storage. The rear camera setup has two sensors; a 12 MP wide-angle lens and a 12 MP telephoto lens, along with a 5 MP front facing camera and a 3,080 mAh battery.

 

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Xiaomi Mi A1 review: the perfect budget phone?

Introduced in 2014, Google's Android One program never quite took off the way the company had envisioned. The program focused on developing markets like India and aimed to deliver budget smartphones with a stock Android …

 

Keep in mind that this phone uses stock Android, and does not have the Xiaomi MIUI skin on top. The phone launched with Android 7.1.2 Nougat, but Xiaomi began rolling out the promised update to Android 8.0 Oreo earlier in 2018. It's available unlocked from Amazon right now for just $199.

Specs

• 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor
• 4 GB of RAM
• 64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 400 GB
• 12 MP dual rear cameras, 5 MP front facing camera
• Non-removable 3,080 mAh battery
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm, 165 g 

 

Buy at Amazon

Sharp Android One S3

Sharp

 

This Sharp device is the latest of its Android One phones that it has released in its native Japan and is a successor to the 2017 released Sharp X1. It has a 5-inch 1080p IGZO display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It also has a 13 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front-facing camera and a 2,700 mAh battery. It ships with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. Unfortunately, the Sharp Android One S3 is only available in Japan, for a cost of JPY 32,400 (US $300). 

Specs

• 5- inch 1920 x 1080 IGZO resolution display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor
• 3 GB of RAM
• 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 400 GB
• 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front facing camera
• Non-removable 2,700 mAh battery
• Android 8.0 Oreo

Upcoming Android One phones

Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6

 

HMD Global announced at the Mobile World Congress trade show in February that most of its upcoming lineup of Nokia-branded Android smartphones will be a part of the Android One phones family going forward (the exception is the low-priced Nokia 1, which will be an Android Go device). They include the Nokia 8 Sirocco, the Nokia 7 Plus and the 2018 edition of the Nokia 6.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco may have a 5.5-inch screen but inside it has the fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of onboard storage, along with a dual camera setup with 12 and 13 MP sensors, a 5 MP front camera, and a 3,200 mAh battery. The Nokia 7 Plus has a large 6-inch display, the Snapdragon 660 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, dual 12 and 13 MP rear camera, a 13 MP front camera and a large 3,800 mAh battery. The 2018 Nokia 6 has a 5.5-inch display, a Snapdragon 630 processor, either 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, or 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. It also has a single rear 16 MP camera, an 8 MP front facing camera and a 3,200 mAh battery.

While the Nokia 8 Sirocco is already out in China, all three phones should be available in Europe later this spring, with the 2018 Nokia 6 coming to the US in May.

Specs

Nokia 8 Sirocco

• 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 resolution display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor
• 6 GB of RAM
• 128 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 400 GB
• Dual 12 and 13 MP rear cameras, 5 MP front facing camera
• Non-removable 3,200 mAh battery
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 140.93 x 72.97 x 7.5 mm

Nokia 7 Plus

• 6-inch 2160 x 1080 resolution display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor
• 4 GB of RAM
• 64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 400 GB
• Dual 12 and 13 MP rear cameras, 13 MP front facing camera
• Non-removable 3,800 mAh battery
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 158.4 x 75.6 x 7.9 mm

Nokia 6 (2018)

• 5.5-inch resolution display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor
• 3/4 GB of RAM
• 32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 400 GB
• 16 MP rear camera, 8 MP front facing camera
• Non-removable 3,200 mAh battery

Conclusion

That's is our look at the current and upcoming third-party phones that are a part of the Android One program. As always, we will update this list when new phones are announced and/or released.

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