Android One-based phones have been around since 2014, but, their existence or the lack thereof, is subject of much debate. In fact, well until September 5, 2017, it was widely speculated - to the extent that it wasn’t even a speculation any more - that Android One was dead. Only Android One was never dead. You can say that it was on a sabbatical or something like it, but, dead it wasn’t. September 5, 2017 will go down in history as the day when Android One was re-launched albeit under a slightly different set of rules and guidelines.
At the helm of Android One’s second innings is Xiaomi, a company often called, the Apple of China. And the device in question, at the helm of Android One’s second innings, is the Mi A1.