Google's Android One meeting held in Istanbul

Google's Android One press conference was held in Istanbul yesterday, where the latest mobile phone model of Turkish-based General Mobile, made in collaboration with Google, was announced. Google Turkey's Director Bülent Hiçsönmez, Google's Product Management Director Caesar Sengupta and General Mobile Chair Sebahattin Yaman were among the notable speakers of meeting.

Hiçsönmez gave the keynote speech and underscored the effects of the rise of the Internet in our lives. "Internet access is not an extra activity anymore for people living in developed countries. We always have to be connected to the Internet somehow, and continue our interaction with the Web in the background of our lives. It's not just about it having a place in our personal lives and interpersonal relationships, but is also vital to industries like health, and transportation, which are integrated with mobile technology. So, being connected is essential for us. That's why we need to increase Internet use in our society," he said.He also emphasized the World Economic Forum's (WEF) report that foresees the estimated date when 100 percent of every country's population will have Internet access. He continued, "The WEF report shows that everyone in Turkey will have Internet access only by 2036. It's so late for Turkey, so we need to advance that date earlier."

Sangupta praised the integration of Turkish society into smart technologies. "Today, 3 billion people have Internet access worldwide. Mobile phones act as a driving force for that growth. In Turkey, smartphones have more than 40 percent of the total mobile phone share, which demonstrates the country has great potential in this area. Mobile phones are expected to have a 70 percent share of the market in Turkey," he said. Sangupta also drew attention to Yemeksepeti, a Turkey-based online food ordering platform that was sold to Germany's Delivery Hero last Tuesday in a $589 million transaction. He said these kinds of platforms allow people to conduct their work more easily, and encourages smartphone usage in daily life. He also foresees the innovations in mobile technology will pave the way for digital wallets.

Introducing General Mobile's new smartphone, General Mobile 4G, Yaman said they partnered with Android One on their new model, which will be first smartphone that uses the platform in Europe. "We are delighted to introduce our new phone. We are working in cooperation with Google, and sought their approval at every stage of the development process. With our new phone, we aim to increase our market share in Turkey."The General Mobile 4G will go on sale starting May 15.