Google’s ambitious Android One smartphone program has reached the UK with the launch of the Karbonn Sparkle V in the country at GBP 129.99 (approximately Rs. 12,600).
The contract free Karbonn Sparkle V smartphone is up for purchase via Amazon UK, and can be shipped to other European countries as well.
The Sparkle V is one of the three first Android One smartphones that were launched in India in September, alongside the Micromax Canvas A1 and Spice Dream Uno. So far, there are no details about international launches of the other two Android One smartphones.
The dual-SIM Sparkle V in India is available at almost the half price of that in the UK – Rs. 6,399 (roughly GBP 65).The specifications of the smartphone in both countries are the same, which include a 4.5-inch (480×854 pixels) IPS FWVGA display; 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor; 1GB of RAM, 4GB of inbuilt storage; expandable storage support via microSD card (up to 32GB); a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash; a 2-megapixel front camera; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, GPRS/ EDGE, 3G, and a 1700mAh battery. The smartphone comes in Magnum Blue, Mild Grey, Wild Red and Pearl White colour variants.
The Android One smartphones come with stock Android UI, and in case of future updates, the eventual software upgrades would come directly from Google.
While, the company at the time of launch had promised that it will first ship Android L (now Android 5.0 Lollipop) to Android One smartphones, that hasn’t been the case in practice, and several reports over the Web are claiming that the update has been delayed to early next year.
