Android One: Release date arrives for 'Sparkle V' in the U.K.

Sparkle V by Karbonn Facebook

Indian mobile manufacturer Karbonn finally found a market to release its budget smartphone called Android One. Karbonn is selling Android One in the U.K. as Sparkle V.  The Brits may not be very familiar with Karbonn just yet, but the 5-year-old Indian tablet and smartphone device manufacturer has already been supplying affordable devices to more than 40 countries worldwide.

The Sparkle V has a 4.5-inch screen with 854 x 480 pixel resolution. It also has a 5-megapixel camera as well as a quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM. This smartphone sells for £130, but for its Black Friday deal, Karbonn brought down the Sparkle V's price to just £99.

Aside from the Spakle V, Karbonn will also sell three other smartphones in the U.K., namely: the £70 A5s, which comes with a 4.0-inch screen, 5-megapixel snapper and 512 MB of RAM; the £90 A19, which sports a 5-inch 854 x 480 screen and dual-core processor; and the £120 S6, which boasts a 5-inch 960 x 540 display, quad-core processor and 8-megapixel camera.

Karbonn's Android One was manufactured under the budget smartphone program set by Google. It means that the Indian mobile company managed to meet the set of requirements laid out by Google so that it can offer affordable mobile devices for budding markets. It was first unveiled in India, and there are plans to offer the smartphone in other developing countries like Indonesia and the Philippines. 

The device was almost kept in the cellar, as Indian mobile carriers decided not to offer the affordable smartphone in the country. Good thing Karbonn managed to find acceptance in the European market. However, gadget analysts are doubtful if Karbonn can manage to break into the smartphone market worldwide since the U.K. is not as big as the North American market.

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