Lipa Mdogo Mdogo was launched sometime in 2020.
The program, which for some time has been run by telco Safaricom and Google, sees that Kenyans who can’t afford smartphones have access to the devices at a low price.
Basically, a customer identifies a phone they want, they pay a deposit, and the rest of the fees are covered for the next couple of months for as low as KES 20 per day.
Google’s role in this partnership is that it tunes Android, often Android Go Edition, to work just fine in these devices because they do not have the best specs.
The experience also has to be good, else there would be no need for the Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phones to exist.
Today’s announcement by Safaricom marks a new development, where customers will have access to a robust catalog of devices thanks to a partnership with Transsion.
Transsion is a Chinese company that makes smartphones such as Infinix, TECNO, and itel, as well as other home and home entertainment products, including the likes of Syinix TVs and washing machines.
The collaboration means that more Kenyans have many phones to pick from to finally enjoy the benefits of Safaricom’s 4G coverage, which is at 96 percent as per the last report from the carrier.
Besides the Neon Ray pro, which was the first device introduced under the Lipa Mdogo Mdogo financing plan, Safaricom has added the following devices: itel A24, TECNO Spark 7, and TECNO CAMON 17.
The devices are available at all Safaricom Shops and dealer outlets with a deposit of KES 500, KES 3,000, and KES 5,000 respectively, with the balance payable via flexible daily, weekly, or monthly installments.
All the 4G devices on offer are loaded with a suite of Google Apps designed to give users a great smartphone experience and come with 1 GB free data at the point of purchase, and 50MB valid for 24 hours with every installment payment.
To buy a device, customers can visit any Safaricom Shop or dealer outlet, or dial *544# and select option 8 named Lipa Mdogo Mdogo.
