As we all get excited over the coming of Faiba 4G, the excitement might soon fade off for most of us and it’s not because of how hard it is to get your hands on a SIM card but your smartphone might not be compatible with Faiba 4G’s network. First of all, Faiba 4G’s network, in case the name didn’t sell it out, is purely 4G, that means phones without 4G support are out. Faiba 4G uses the 700MHz spectrum, which is a rare band to find on most smartphones, especially those that ship to this region.
Well, to help you figure out whether you need a new smartphone or the one you have is just fine, here’s a list of smartphones that are currently compatible with Faiba 4G (the list will be updated continuously as we confirm compatibility with devices):
Devices Fully Compatible with Voice (Faiba 4G VoLTE) and Data:
- Nokia 2
- Nokia 5
- Nokia 6
- Nokia 8
Devices Only Compatible with Faibe 4G Data:
- TECNO Camon CX, Phantom 8, K8 (to be released)
- Infinix Zero 4 and Zero 5
- OPPO F5, F5 Youth, A57, F1s, F3 Plus, F1, R5, R7
- From iPhone 6s and above including iPhone SE
- Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S7, S7 Edge, S8, S8+, Note 4, Note 5, Note 8, A5 (2016/2017), A7 (2016/2017), J7 Pro, J7 (2017), J2 Prime, J5 Prime, Grand Prime, J1 Ace, Note FE, J2, A9 Pro (2016), C7 (2017)
- Huawei P8, P9, Mate 7, Mate S, Mate 8, Mate 9, Mate 9 Pro, P10, P10 Plus, Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, GR5 (2017), Honor 6
- HTC 10, U Ultra, U Play, U11, Desire 825, Desire 530, Desire 10 Pro, Desire 610, Desire 628, Desire 626, Desire 820, Desire 530, One M9, One M8, One X9, One E9+, One A9,
- Moto G4, G4 Plus, G5, G5 Plus, Z, Z Play, Z2 Play
- LG G3 (Dual-LTE), G4, G5, G6, Q6, V10, V20, V30
- Sony Xperia Z3, XZ Premium, XA, XZ, XA1 Ultra, Z5, XA Ultra, X, M4 Aqua, Z3 Compact, Z3+, Z5 Premium, C5 Ultra, E5, M5, X Compact, X Performance, C3, C4, Z2a (D6563)
- Lenovo P2, K6 Note
- Xiaomi Mi Mix2, Xiaomi Mi Note 2
- ZTE Axon 7
- OnePlus 5, 5T
- Blackberry Priv, KeyOne, DTEK 50, DTEK 60
These devices that support only Data will have to get software updates pushed to them so as to support VoLTE on Faiba 4G. As an individual, there’s really nothing you can do about it until JTL requests those updates from the respective manufacturers. Also, for those with Dual SIM phones, for your device to work, Faiba 4G must be SIM 1.
Haha. Is the Nokia era back?
Like it never left…
Nokia 2 seems pretty good for it’s price too.
What do you think of Nokia 3?
I feel Nokia 2 is a better in the long run…Nokia 3’s only advantage is an extra 1 gb memory.I think one can sacrifice the memory for larger battery as in Nokia 2 and one could always move some apps to SD card too so the Nokia 2 is a better deal.
if your cellphone doesn’t support the so called band 12, you can target their mifi. Its portable
Well, I think JTL Faiba 4G uses Band 28 and not 12.
Oh! 28 is the rare one right?
Thought for a moment its 12 but its not. Thanks for clarifying
So my XIAOMI REDMI 4X is not compatible with 4G and am yet am using,
Unless you’re using Faiba 4G, your comment here is wrong.
go to hell!!!.
Am as hurt men,turns out my xiaomi redmi note 4 aint compatible aswell.
My cozo was pissed her Samsung wasn’t compatible. I walked out there like a boss 😁.
So this is their Achilles heel….I would like to bet the number f 4G phones in the country is still low and considering Safaricom has the most reliable 4G in addition to the ubiquitous MPESA around the country putting Faiba 4G in SIM 1 will be a hard sell bundle prices notwithstanding.But I hope they break through the market….They have very good packages.
This was one of the worst launches i have seen for a telco. They have no website with relevant info, no FAQs, no social media engagement channels to answer to queries, no idea when to get the sim cards. Just empty funfare. Too kienyeji. Tragic that we have to get such important info from a tech blog. They may have good offerings but they need to open up. Na kama ni ngumu poach some guys from Safcom.
Uhmm… https://www.faiba4g.co.ke
You do this during the launch not after. I hope they can sustain the massive interest.
I have tried on several occasions on different days , the website DOES NOT OPEN, with this kind of service it’s a failure, even if it’s cheaper !
agreed poor launch !
U must be looking in the wrong place .
14 days ago there was no website about Faiba 4G, no information at all. Today there is one. The fact remains that the launch was poorly done, you are the one who is 14days late.
I wanted to finally resist and join Faiba but hii yao iko na conditions mingi, I not only have to buy a simcard but also a new phone since my 4G handset does not support band 700Mhz frequency..for now am resigned to the Airtel and Telkom 1 gb for 100… however, I’ll definitely consider looking at the frequency bands before purchasing my next phone
So how does my Xiaomi redmi note 3 pro fare? What about newer xiaomis?
We updated the list with compatible Xiaomi devices
why isn’t the Nokia 3 among the list?! Online its shown to be able to support VoLTE which is the 700Mhz spectrum
The Nokia list above we got from HMD themselves. We are yet to understand why the Nokia 3 does not support Faiba’s network.
Apparently, the MTK Processor is the problem.
Actually my Nokia 3 supports the Faiba sim card perfectly well. It’s the one I’m browsing with right now. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9b1f117fd467865e9f1f4cec0f869ac973965984700d8e3b3d981b7bd8b75cf6.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ccb3830cd66d476d99514b0e17926623e4731016120eb732cf10d3430384a87c.jpg
Hey Saruni. I dont know how Nokia 3 missed the your list and its supports band 28 which is the 70p spectrum. Please check on the same and clarify
Following up on it…
Is Nokia 5 with DUAL SIM compatible? https://www.jumia.co.ke/5-16gb-2gb-ram-13mp-camera-4g-lte-dual-sim-black-nokia-mpg25386.html
Yes, it is.
The MTK Processor is the problem
How so?
HMD didn’t really explain why. They just said the processor was the problem.
hey, how about my Microsoft 950
Wow. That’s a rare device to find around but yeah, it should work just fine.
How about infinix note 4 pro?
Not compatible.
y not
its specs confirms it supports 28(700)
[…] to getting the most out of Faiba 4G. Unfortunately, there are not so many phones on the market that support band 28 (700MHz), but there are for sure a good number of them that support VoLTE. Interestingly, it’s also […]
Hey Saruni,
Have you tried Jamii Telkom’s mi-fi? Does it’s wifi connect to all phones and laptops? I heard rumours that the mi-fi only connects to 4g devices
I have been using it for quite a long time and whoever told you that it only connects to 4G devices was pulling your leg. The Mi-Fi creates a Wi-Fi hotspot, thus enabling any device with Wi-Fi access to connect to it.
Is tecno camon cx compatible
It’s literally the first phone on the list
So the devices that are not on the above list will not even work as 4G only as 3G ?
even though they do so on 4G Safaricom network ?
Faiba 4G and Safaricom 4G are not on the same spectrum – Safaricom is 800MHz, Faiba is 700MHz.
Secondly, Faiba is 4G only, so there’s no 3G compatibility.
Hi Saruni. First of all i love your blog. Secondly, since you’ve mentioned phantom 8, does it mean that phantom 6 is also supported?
Sim doesn’t have to be on Sim 1 on all phones. Faiba 4G LTE works just fine on Sim 2 on my Mate 9 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c984a12fb1e6aa76341d1c0826e8931ddf90fa2431ed6eebc79a9dfa4c93729e.png
700 MHz frequency goes through walls , full bar Kila mahali.
[…] Faiba 4G and VoLTE. This has become a feature people are looking for after JTL launched Faiba 4G recently in Kenya that uses the 700 mhz […]
I have Xperia XA. It doesn’t read the faiba simcard
is huawei honor 8 lite compatible with this card
I noticed all above phones has price range from 20k to 60k.
I better buy the Faiba 4g router
or a cheaper router from china
Hi, I was astonished… Infinix hot 4 is not their.. does it mean the alternative is just buying the gadget on the list ??
I have the Lenovo K6 Note and still can’t get the Data to work. Any leads on how any other users are doing it? Have already tried the default specs on the Faiba4g site.
add nokia 3 . it is compatible .
[…] Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL) announced the launch of its mobile network operator, Faiba 4G back in December. Although its coverage isn’t as widespread as Safaricom’s, limited to only Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu and Thika it offers the most affordable 4G data bundles. The only challenge with Faiba 4G is that it is limited to some specific devices which can be found here. […]
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Nice article. Which is the cheapest phone on the market that one can buy and also supports the faiba line in terms of data?
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Why is Nokia 3 not in this list?
K8 (to be released)
what does it mean?
It means the phone is not yet available in the Kenyan market.
Am using Nokia 5 and the mifi, but the mifi works perfect!!
What bout the new Huawei Y7 Prime 2018?!