MTN has partnered with China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd., chipset maker UNISOC and KaiOS technology to launch first smart feature 3G device in Africa.
This announcement was made by the partners at the ongoing AfricaCom event in Cape Town, South Africa.
This new mobile device is a feature phone with fast, 3G internet.
According to MTN Group CEO, Rob Shuter on the partnership, “As MTN we are proud to be part of this partnership that supports our ambitions to deepen digital inclusion in our markets. This initiative contributes to the achievement of one of our key goals to provide affordable data enabled handsets to our customers, and by so doing, remove some of the barriers to mobile internet adoption in Africa.”
“The biggest challenge in the market is that consumers do not earn enough income to purchase devices that have access to the internet.
“MTN has 220 million customers and only 72 million of those customers have devices that have access to mobile internet.”
Li Huidi, Executive Vice President of China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd, said, “As the largest Telecom Operator in China, we have made fruitful attempts at rapidly promoting business development through device customization. We hope to share our experiences in this regard with international operator partners, and help them expand market presence through device customization, thus delivering the dividend of reliable mobile networks to more users.”
“As the largest operator in Africa, MTN Group has achieved excellent progress. China Mobile is very honoured to be MTN’s strategic and cooperative partner, and is willing to provide customized integrated device solutions to MTN. Jointly, we can provide intelligent connectivity for the multi-billion market in Africa, and help to promote the digitalization of the continent.”
The yet-to-be-named smart feature phone will be an MTN branded device and is expected to cost $20. It is due in stores in the first quarter of 2019 in Nigeria and South Africa.
The phone, expected to run on KaiOS, will have the following features:
- 2.4’ screen,
- 256MB/512MB RAM/ROM,
- Powered by UNISOC SC7731EF
- Fast internet access through Wi-Fi and 3G
- Bluetooth connectivity and GPS for navigation
- The Google Assistant and other smart services
- The KaiStore, home to the world’s most popular apps and localized content
- 2 cameras, as well as music and video streaming services
- Long battery life 2000mah
- Dual SIM support
KaiOS already powers close to 50 million smart feature phones globally, including in the USA, Canada, India, China, and several countries in Europe.
China Mobile and MTN expect to sell around 10 million models over the next three years.
