In some regions, high-end and mid-range smartphones reign supreme, but in emerging markets, low-end phones tend to be much more popular. For a while now, Google has been talking about bringing the “next billion users” online, and central to its plan is Android Go, a configuration of Android Oreo optimized for low-end devices. A number of companies have expressed enthusiasm over Android Go since it was unveiled last year, and one of them, MediaTek, announced that it’s partnering with India-based carrier Reliance Jio to launch an Android Oreo Go Edition smartphone.
Unless you live in or around India, you might not have heard of Reliance Jio. It’s an LTE mobile network operator that made headlines in 2016 by offering free voice calls. It’s one of the fastest-growing carriers in the country, and it sells a low-cost phone, the Jio Phone, that starts at just 1,500 Rs. ($~23).
MediaTek, meanwhile, creates system-on-chips for smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, and more. They’ve also shown an interest in the Android Go platform — the company’s MT6739, MT6739, and MT6580 chips fully support it.
Reliance Jio and MediaTek declined to reveal the price, specifications, or availability of the new smartphone at MediaTek’s Curtain-Raiser for 2018 event in New Delhi on Tuesday, where the two companies made the announcement. But MediaTek showcased the features of its MT6739 chip, which supports dual cameras, facial authentication, and dual 4G VoLTE even on Android Oreo Go Edition devices.
At any rate, MediaTek and Reliance Jio’s phone won’t be the first Android Oreo Go Edition device on the market. Micromax recently announced that the affordable Bharat Go.
“India is growth intensive, a market of immense opportunities with its own set of aspirations and needs,” said T L Lee, general manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Communication division, at the event. “We continue to intensify our technology collaboration in India, even beyond smartphones, and recognize its importance in the global marketplace.”
Source: Gadgets 360
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