MTN Nigeria has launched its own line of smart feature phone running on Kai Operating System (KaiOS).
The newly launched phone will help Africa’s largest phone network dominate mobile phones in Africa as well as provide rural communities with access to the internet.
Speaking at the launch of the phone at the MTN office in Lagos, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Rahul De described the development as the first African smart feature phone.
According to him, the essence of developing the technology is to provide connectivity to a large number of people.
“We want to bring connectivity to everybody. We believe that connectivity leads to growth in the nation’s economy. With connectivity, growth of the economy becomes faster.
“Affordability of smart phones has remained a challenge, hence, the reason for a smart phone with so many features selling at N8,000,” he said.
He stressed that the quality of the phone meets the parameter of any other smart phone.
Features of the phone include dual sim, front and back camera, App Store, google maps, facebook, whatsapp, YouTube with six months free data.
While he assured that the phones are available at all MTN outlets and shops across the country, he warned against selling above the recommended price of N8,000.
According to research by the GSMA, the $100-$200 price tag of a smartphone is preventing 64% of people in Africa from upgrading their phones to 3G/4G devices that can access the internet.
