The LG-made Google Nexus 5 was one of the most anticipated smartphones this year. Though the eventual announcement of the device had long been ruined by continuous leaks, that took nothing off the first Android device to pack Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box. Those of us in East African countries like Kenya were disappointed when we were left out of the pre-order party since Google is yet to open the Play Store to this region for among others movie rentals and device purchases. Till when that will happen, our best chance of landing the hottest Nexus and Google Play edition hardware is through the specific device makers like LG. Samsung did it with the Galaxy Nexus which is still available in some local stores even today despite the fact that it is old enough to have even been discontinued by Google from receiving further software updates. LG is expected to at least bring some hope as far as recent Nexus devices go.
As per a posting on LG East Africa’s Facebook page, we could be seeing the Nexus 5 available in this region officially through LG approved stores and dealers. That’s good news. You may be wondering why some of us are excited yet the Nexus 5 has been available through independent resellers for a while now. Well, official availability means that those hefty price tags the device has been attracting will be happily evaded. It does not make sense really to buy the Nexus 5 at a steep Ksh55-57,000. Of course we are all in agreement that such a price tag that puts it at the same level as the G2 which is a far much better device with a better camera is insulting right? Neither does it make sense to just import one or two units; not with our burdensome taxes. Independent resellers as always rushed in to fill the void left by importing Nexus devices en masse and overpricing them. That is currently the matter with the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013). I have never heard anything to do with the Nexus 10 tablet locally so lets avoid that.
Our hope is that LG East Africa will indeed bring the Nexus 5 to this market and that the device will attract the same favourable pricing it has attracted online through the Play Store.
