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YESTERDAY, GOOGLE STARTED sending out press invites to the launch event in India for Android One, its new super-cheap smartphone.
Google is hoping to deliver a solid smartphone experience for less than $100 (€76).
Google’s strategy is to work with smartphone developers in emerging markets and to provide them with up-to-date versions of its free Android software so they can make great phones and low prices. It’s the polar opposite strategy of Apple, which is gearing up the release of the iPhone 6, which is likely to cost $700 (€530).
The market for cheap smartphones is burgeoning. In the West, smartphones are ubiquitous, but in the developing world, most people don’t have them.
It is not just Google moving in on the emerging market for budget smartphones. Mozilla is launching a $33 (€25) phone in India. Microsoft has pushed down the price of its Windows phone. Xiaomi and Motorola have been launching smartphones in India too, including the Redmi 1S and Moto E costing Rs 6,999 (€87) and Rs 5,999 (€75) respectively.
9to5Google noted that Google has already partnered with manufacturers Karbonn, Micromax and Spice for the first Android One devices. Karbonn are the manufacturers who made the A50S, the smartphone priced at only $43 (€32).
The bet here seems to be that in the future, it will feel weird to pay large sums of money for a phone. Generally, the history of computing shows that prices drop over time even as devices become ever more powerful.
Eventually, Google and its Android manufacturers seem to be hoping, people will face a choice: €530 for an iPhone or €76 for an Android that does the same thing.
Some people think that Android phones only compete with other Android phones, and that Apple functions like a separate market. In that scenario, Apple is happy to exist as a minority brand as long as the minority it serves remains highly lucrative.
Right now, that strategy is working for Android, too. Apple remains strong in the US where a huge chunk of the market buys iPhones. But in Europe, Android is taking over. In the top 5 European countries, Apple’s share is only 7-11% of the market.
Of course, Apple’s iPhone 6 is likely to be a huge seller – so after 9 September, expect these numbers to change drastically.
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A tad late. Election on horizon. Independents have done no good..
@Willy Malone:
But they have done little real harm either!
@Michael Kavanagh: sad state of affairs when we begin judging politicians based on who “made less of a mess”
@Willy Malone: I will agree with you on this one. Independents can’t be trusted in government. When unpopular decisions are to be made they can’t be trusted to tow the line and always start moaning when an election is coming near
@Kian:Politicians are the REAL MESS
@Willy Malone: would be better off encouraging his constituents to shop local and pay the little extra in doing so.
@Willy Malone: out comes the kite
@Kian: Nice one Kian. I also smell a election in the air.
€8 Million is the most all these closures will “save”, but yet the Government thinks it’s OK to throw away over €750 million a year on foreign aid to Third World dictators.
https://www.irishaid.ie/what-we-do/how-our-aid-works/where-the-money-goes/
2015 figures
@Edward Smith: “Edward” our track record on foreign aid should be something we are really proud of.
BTW your Facebook account doesn’t seem to exist….you feeling OK?
@Ricky Spanish: I don’t know what’s up with my FB page, I can see it.
Anyway I didn’t use it to troll and abuse Ruth Coppinger.
that is what the government would like u to believe in regards to post office closures i find it impossible to believe that the post office in enniskeane remains opened it is a wee place 6 people would pack it by the way what money do sub post offices cost on post each year for enniskeane in space is not big enough for the population in that area
@Ricky Spanish: We have to borrow that money and then pay interest on it why don’t Brussels just give it to them so we can save on the internet payments, cut out the middle man.
People don’t seem to want to live in villages & towns. If they did, maybe they’d have better local services – back to Planning System!
@AMKavanagh: yep, spot on Sir
@AMKavanagh:
If they had local(ish) jobs the prospect might be more attractive.
@AMKavanagh: Not sure how you came to that conclusion, the majority of people living in rural counties like Cavan and Leitrim already live outside of the urban towns and there is no indication that this will change. Outside of the town where I live there are around forty townlands which go to make up the local postal District. However An Post says that because the town/village has less than 500 people then the post office should close, they are not even considering the rest of the community of 800 people living within 3km of the local post office.
@Chris Kirk: i think he means if the people in rural Ireland actually lived in the towns and villages instead of being scattered over the countryside in one-off bungalows then services likes post offices, buses etc. Would be more viable, which is true.
@Chris Kirk: Its not the delivery office it is the retail office. If people used them they would stay open. Thats the problem An Post receive no government money so it is a business that has to break even at least. Keeping offices open that cost money is bad for business.
If the government or the people want to stop it then it was simple enough.
Use the Post Office, but people dont. I do but I used to work there and I know what spending a few minutes a week makes to turnover. If everybody else did there would not be a problem
A community banking system already exists in this country via Credit Unions. And half of those are losing money, because ratio of lending to deposits is too low. So there’s unlikely to be an appetite from depositors for the German sparkasse type community bank. It’s all about risk and who ultimately carries it. Not the Government; it has enough of that on its plate!
New online players in the marketplace like Flender and LinkedFinance, offer better rates to Depositors and excellent choices to business borrowers with the well thought out plan in profitability, sustainability and solid security.
Michael needs to educate himself on new realities for sustainable banking in Ireland.
@Rory J Leonard: Linked Finance offer investments which can go down too.
Never heard of him, but he’s got his name on the paper at last!
@John Mulligan:
But his hand was obviously slapped out of the pork barrel!
Pity the only buzzword he can think of is “Brexit”
come and have a look at the post office in enniskeane co cork and compare it to what a good post office looks like
Every parish needs a new pump
Too many of the post offices need revamping and modernising to international standards and the government doesn’t see a return on any investment from a purely financial perspective. The post office is part of the fabric of what makes rural Ireland and we should be doing everything reasonable to preserve our culture. Very shortsighted decision that needs to be challenged constructively so do your bit to reverse it no matter where you live.
@Brian: It is not paid for by government at all. It is a stand alone semi state company as regards international standards the system they use ids the best in the world and owned and created by them with IBM years ago. It is the industry top standard.
The reasons they are closing is lack of use. The cost millions each year and not just the obvious costs either.
People to blame the people that dont use the post office
I reluctantly use a big Dublin post office regularly. The staff are scruffy and seem bored with their jobs. The place itself is dull and smelly. I’m all for An Post having a good shake up in Dublin anyway.
@Ali murray: Staff cant be scuffy they would be reported, sorry I am sure An Post will put in cheer leaders and flashing lights for you. Oh and read any of the articles all week. No Dublin Offices are being touched
have your say