In the past decade, we have seen a significant jump in mobile technology. It is an explosion that continues to grow, and its late manifestation is based on deeper mobile penetration, especially in emerging markets where subsidized prices for devices and mobile plans has accelerated adoption. It is a fierce market that has forced OEMs to adjust some of their operating variables to survive. Also, some of these manufacturers have not been around for long time as their entrance into the mobile phone business was triggered by its (mobile) popularity.
From a local standpoint, it is obvious that most of the mobile tech we consume is imported from Chinese OEMs, mostly. This is why a smartphone manufactured within the confines of Africa is exiting.
The device of the hour is Egypt’s Nile X that was announced a couple of days ago in Cairo. It is the first indigenous device made in the North African country by a company called SICO Technology that has ties with the nation’s Ministry of ICT.
The device packs some good specs: a 5.7inch 720p display, 4 gigs of RAM and 64 GB onboard storage. Also, it takes on one of 2017’s most popular approach to mobile photography with dual 13MP sensors. The entire package is powered by Android 7.0 Nougat, an unnamed octa core chipset and proceeds to incorporate fast-charging, which is a big deal for a device that retails at around $112.
SICO Technology reports that it can manufacture up to 1.8 million devices in a year. That is quite impressive for a company that received more than $22.4 million in funding from the county’s ICT Ministry.
There is a chance for the device to make its way to Kenya in coming days as its manufacturer plans to oversee regional expansion in Nairobi. Other key targets include Nigeria, South Africa and Mozambique.
