Safaricom, in partnership with Google, has unveiled the cheapest smartphone in Kenya, aware of the importance of internet access to income generation.
Through Maisha Ni Digital initiative, Safaricom intends to enable 10 million more Kenyans access the internet. The company has picked on key trends resulting from growth of smartphone use and internet access in the country.
One is the relationship between income generation and internet access, as Charles Wanjohi put it. He is the interim director of the consumer business unit at Safaricom. “We are witnessing a marked difference in income generated by those with Internet-enabled devices compared to those without.”
He continued by giving two examples that make this difference clear. “Vendors have been able to increase their customer bases by leveraging online marketplaces, and bodaboda riders are taking advantage of the online taxi or delivery services and mobile applications to increase their income.”
To that end, Safaricom partnered with Google to release the cheapest smartphone in Kenya. The Neon Kicka 4 will retail at sh.3,499. The option to pay in installments over 3 months will be available for buyers.
Neon Kicka 4 smartphone is as capable as any. It supports high-speed 3G internet. Users will enjoy the coverage and reliability of Safaricom network. The phone runs on Android 8.1 (GO Edition), ensuring “a great experience.”
Mahir Sahin, Africa Android Partnerships, Google Director, said, “Android’s mission is to bring the power of computing to everyone, and part of that is ensuring a great experience across the broadest range of devices.
“The Neon Kicka 4 gives millions of people the opportunity to connect to the internet for the first time via an affordable mobile device.”
It’s not only affordable, but will also come with goodies for new owners. Safaricom will be giving 500MB of free data in the first month. Users can unlock 500MB of free data for each of the next 5 months by buying data bundle worth sh.50 or more.
Neon Kicka 4 is available at all Safaricom shops and Dealer outlets. It can also be purchased online through Masoko.