Smartphones Should Cost Less Than $30 in Emerging Markets: Google CEO

The quest to get the next billion people online is not new. Google, with its several initiatives has been one of the earliest entities working on it.

In his recent visit to India, company CEO Sundar Pichai has offered his version of the vision he sees in order to get the next generation of people online.

Giving an interview to NDTV, he spoke about a two-part process. First, getting ultra-cheap smartphones offering quality experience available, and secondly, for not more than $30.

Mr. Pichai adds that:

We are committed to making even cheaper smartphones. The right price point for smartphones in India is $30, and pursuing high quality smartphones at the price point will unlock it even more.

He noted that while the market is seeing an influx of phones in the $50 range, that simply was not enough.

The Android One Failure

Google is obviously not new to the idea of pursuing cheap smartphones. Not long ago, it launched its Android One program which promised quick software updates for sub-hundred dollar phones, a program which unfortunately had to be shelved because of lack of momentum. Google itself only makes the Pixel phones right now and those are not priced to be penetrating developing markets.

However, cheap smartphones are just a part of the puzzle. They must be paired with good connections to complete a loop, or at least must have service which can work well on “flaky” networks. Google has also been trying to fill the void there, with services such as YouTube offline.

Pichai is currently in India to gain momentum for his Digital Unlocked program, which attempts to get online presence for small and medium-sized enterprises.


  • Is India the only emerging market Mr pichai? What about Pakistan oh sorry you think it is filthy, sorry to get you triggered


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