Sundar Pichai expected to announce next phase of Android One next week

Google CEO Sundar Pichai is heading off to India next week to host a press conference in New Delhi, where he will deliver the keynote address about what the company has planned for India, which could include new plans for Android One.

Pichai was at the original launch of the Android One project in India last year and is expected to outline where the initiative is heading next. The company is expected to announce another wave of Android One devices at the event. Previous discussions about the program this year suggests that the company might focus on making the range even more affordable. Google may also be prepared to further loosen the hardware restrictions on manufacturers, to allow them to set themselves apart and to encourage additional competition.

Android One has not had quite the impact on the Indian smartphone market that Google perhaps thought that it would. Local low cost manufacturers and smartphones from China have pushed out most Android One products and Google’s promise of fast and frequency updates didn’t materialise to win over consumers. A push to lower prices even further will be tough for Google to pull off, but might take Android One out of the most competitive segment of the Indian market.

During his trip to India, Pichai is also expected to meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and will give a talk at Delhi University’s Sri Ram College of Commerce on December 17^th. With millions of new people hopping online, India is set to be a key market for Google over the next few years.