New Delhi: Google will soon allow Android users in India to download YouTube videos and watch them offline. This was announced by Sundar Pichai Senior Vice President, Android, Chrome and Apps, at an event that witnessed the launch of Android One smartphones. Android One is a reference design for low-cost Android phones, offering users Google-driven experience at lower cost.
“In (the) coming weeks much of YouTube will be available offline in India, meaning that people can store videos in the YouTube app when they are on WiFi and watch them later — a great benefit for times with a slow connection or rewatching videos without using up the data plan,” Pichai said.
Offline playback means users can store the video to view it at any time, regardless of their internet connection.
Though it is unclear what videos will be available for offline streaming, the company said “much of YouTube” will be available offline.
At the event the company also unveiled its first set of Android One-powered smartphones in India, in association with Micromax, Spice, and Karbonn.
The new phones -- the Micromax Canvas A1, Spice Dream Uno, and Karbonn Sparkle V – will be available from their respective online retail partners in India from Monday, and on physical stored in early October.
All 3 smartphones bear similar features hardware specifications, as well as "features particularly important to Indians" - dual SIM card slots, a FM radio tuner, and a microSD card slot for additional storage. These devices offer a 4.5 inch (11.4cm) display, a quadcore Mediatek processor, 1GB of RAM, 5-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras, and the ability to run the next version of Android.
Google apps such as Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Search, and Google Translate will come pre-loaded on the phones.
In a tie-up with Airtel, Google also announced a promotion offer to reduce data costs for those who buy Android One phones. With an Airtel SIM card, Android One users will get free over-the-air (OTA) updates, and 200MB per month worth of app downloads from Google Play for the first six months.
Pichai also announced an expanded set of hardware partners for the Android One initiative, including Acer, Alcatel Onetouch, Asus, HTC, Intex, Lava, Lenovo, Panasonic, and Xolo, as well as chipmaker Qualcomm. It said the new Android One phones will soon be launched in Indonesia, the Philippines, and additional countries in South Asia.
