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Google’s $22 million investment in KaiOS in 2018 helped extend Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube and Google Assistant to inexpensive, internet-connected feature phones. It was an investment in KaiOS—not a purchase of the Nokia 8110 4G, and not a guarantee that every KaiOS handset would offer the same apps. The Nokia 8110 4G was an early, visible example of the partnership’s reach.
What did Google’s $22 million investment buy?
Google invested $22 million in KaiOS in 2018 to support the platform’s growth and expand access to Google services on low-cost phones. TechCrunch reported the investment on June 27, 2018. KaiOS later described it as a Series A investment in a company retrospective published January 21, 2019, writing: “We strengthened our strategic partnership with Google through a $22M Series A investment.”
The investment was not an acquisition of KaiOS or a deal to buy a particular phone. It strengthened a strategic partnership: KaiOS supplied the operating system for smart feature phones, while Google’s services were made available on supported devices. KaiOS’s low-power, lower-cost hardware category offered an alternative for people who did not have easy access to internet-connected smartphones.
Which Google services were associated with KaiOS?
The headline services were Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube and Google Assistant. KaiOS and Google described the partnership as a way to put these services on affordable handsets, including devices with physical keypads and smaller screens rather than the touch-first experience of a typical smartphone.
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- Google Search: Web search on compatible handsets.
- Google Maps: Maps access on supported devices, with the experience shaped by each phone’s hardware and software.
- YouTube: Video service availability on supported models; a feature phone’s display, performance and data connection may make the experience different from a smartphone’s.
- Google Assistant: Voice interaction that could make search and other tasks easier on a keypad-based phone. Google and KaiOS highlighted Assistant access as part of the platform’s reach.
These were headline services, not a promise that all KaiOS phones had identical app catalogs or capabilities. Availability could vary by model, firmware, market and carrier. The historical partnership announcement does not establish which apps still work on a particular handset today.
Was the Nokia 8110 4G the phone that brought Google services to feature phones?
The Nokia 8110 4G was a recognizable early example, but the chronology matters: Google services on KaiOS-powered Nokia phones, including the 8110 4G, were announced in February 2018—before the $22 million investment was reported in June. The 8110 was therefore part of the broader KaiOS-Google story, not a phone that the June investment itself created.
KaiOS also reached beyond global-brand devices. On December 4, 2018, KaiOS announced Indonesia’s WizPhone WP006 and said more than 50 million phones ran KaiOS across North America, Asia, Europe and Africa. That installed-base figure was reported by KaiOS, not an independent device count.
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How large was KaiOS after the investment?
The available figures show different measures from different sources and dates; they should not be treated as one continuous, directly comparable series.
| Figure | What it measures | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| More than 50 million phones | KaiOS phones in use across North America, Asia, Europe and Africa, as reported by KaiOS. | KaiOS announcement about the WizPhone WP006, December 4, 2018. |
| Tens of millions of phones | Affordable Android Go and KaiOS phones with Assistant built in sold over the preceding couple of years; Google grouped the two platforms together. | Google statement, February 25, 2019. |
| Over 100 million users | A later KaiOS user estimate. It is an industry-brief estimate, not a directly comparable update to KaiOS’s 2018 count of phones. | GSMA, 2025; the figure should be attributed to GSMA. |
Google’s February 2019 figure is not a KaiOS-only sales total: it combines KaiOS and Android Go phones, and describes sales over the prior couple of years. Likewise, GSMA’s 2025 estimate uses a different source and refers to users, while KaiOS’s 2018 announcement referred to phones in use.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why put Google services on a feature phone?
KaiOS aimed to bridge basic mobile calling and messaging with web-connected services on relatively inexpensive, low-power hardware. That mattered in regions and households where a full smartphone could be out of reach, but it did not make a KaiOS phone equivalent to an entry-level Android phone. Screen size, memory, performance, app selection, battery life, data availability and carrier support depend on the device and market. The partnership’s significance was access to selected Google services on another class of handset, not feature-phone parity with smartphones.
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The rollout continued after 2018. On February 19, 2019, KaiOS announced partners in six African countries whose devices included Google Assistant, Maps and YouTube. On February 25, Google described expanded Assistant language and voice features and reported the combined Android Go and KaiOS sales figure noted above. Together, these announcements show the partnership reaching regional as well as internationally recognized devices.
What to check before relying on a KaiOS phone now
The 2018–2019 announcements establish what the partnership made possible at that time; they do not confirm current support for an individual phone. If considering a particular handset, check the exact model and firmware, the apps available in its market, and whether its network bands and carrier support match your needs. A phone listing or old launch announcement alone is not proof that YouTube, Maps, Search or Assistant still functions on that device.
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