Yes. In 2018, having a smartphone with an 18:9 display aspect ratio is fashionable, I dare say. This new aspect ratio that was first brought to life with the LG G6 and shown a spotlight upon with Samsung’s Galaxy S8 has become the new feature every smartphone wants to have. For those who live under rocks, an 18:9 display means that your phone is slightly longer than usual, but also narrower and with reduced bezels all around.
We saw OPPO bring the 18:9 fashion to budget smartphones with the F5, this was then replicated by TECNO with the Camon CM. Well, in this piece, I will be looking at some of the best 18:9 smartphones available in the Kenyan market. I will not only be looking at the display but will also focus my attention on other specs of the device to see which phones stand out from the crowd.
OPPO A83
We recently reviewed this phone and in Kenn Abuya’s own words, “this is the phone you get when battery life, looks, and camera excellence is what you are looking for.” Not only does this phone look good, it brings with it face unlock that will not disappoint. The A83 features a 5.7-inch HD display with 3GB RAM on board and 32GB storage capacity. The device has a 13MP shooter on the back and an 8MP selfie camera all running on a 3180mAh battery. This phone tops our list because it checks all the boxes of an all-round phone at this price point. If you decide to pick one up, you will not regret it.
Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
This device recently launched in Kenya via e-commerce website Jumia. Xiaomi is a fairly new brand in the country and many people might be sceptical about picking one up. Regardless of it being a new entrant, it still makes it to our short list because the device comes with quite some impressive performance and endurance. The Xiaomi Redmi 5 packs a 5.99 Full HD display, Snapdragon 625, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage and a 4000mAh battery. Like I said, this phone is a performance and endurance king but it loses out when it comes to the camera. The 12MP main and 5MP selfie shooter fail to impress, especially compared to the OPPO A83. The other hurdle is after sales support, there’s no official Xiaomi service centre in the country and that might be a huge disappointment to many.
TECNO CAMON CM
The Camon CM is TECNO’s first 18:9 smartphone and it does a good job of being impressive and pocket-friendly. The Camon CM is a camera-centric phone and it does a good job of taking insta-ready photos but fails to offer software features such as a Pro Camera mode to support the lens. The performance of the phone is also wanting, with a modest 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. Compared to the other phones on the list, the Camom CM is the least impressive but that should not entirely deter you from trying it out.
