In an event held in Makati City, the tech giant revealed the entry-level smartphones will be distributed by local partners Cherry Mobile and MyPhone in the next few weeks.
The smartphones -- Cherry One and MyPhone Uno -- will feature the latest version of Android Lollipop, billed as the "fastest, most responsive Android experience ever."
It will also come with the company's new user interface, and additional features to help conserve data and battery life.
"We want to see a future where every single Filipino is introduced to the Internet," said Kenneth Lingan, Google's country manager for the Philippines.
According to the company, there are 44 million Filipinos connected to the Internet. The number is six million shy of half of the country's total population, which breached the 100 million mark last July.
Google also expects that an additional 10 million Filipinos will be able to have first-time access to the Internet in 2015, propelling the country ahead of South Korea in terms of Internet population.
Lingan explained that having the Internet accessible to as many Filipinos as possible would not only benefit overseas Filipino workers and their families, but also have a lasting effect to the country's economy.
For instance, in the agricultural sector, farmers can tap online tools to find information to improve their yields, creating a more efficient workforce.
"Imagine this happening in every sector in our country," Lingan said.
The Philippines is the sixth country to have access to Google's line of affordable smartphones, after India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
The Android One is an initiative launched by Google in India last September, in an attempt to make smartphones and consequently, Internet access, available to more consumers in developing countries.
It is a "reference platform" that allows device makers and local manufacturers to easily make low-cost smartphones.
Caesar Sengupta, Google Vice President of Product Management, likened the Android One initiative to "your favorite grandmother's recipe" of the local popular dish, pork adobo.
Simply put, he said Google provides the recipe, and their partners choose the ingredients.
"If you're making adobo, you want to pick the right pork. You start with a great recipe, put in the right ingredients, and you will get fantastic results," he added.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
