Chinese phone manufacturers Huawei who specialise in budget white label handsets seem to have hit the correct market in Africa as its Huawei Ideos budget smartphone has taken off in Kenya bringing a huge jump in Android sales to the country.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember the emerging markets outside of the US and Europe but there are still huge areas for expansion across the globe for mobile phone retailers and software makers and the movement in sales equalling 350,000 handsets sold in Kenya is a real showcase of the smartphone’s potential markets.
This is especially interesting as statistically in Kenya nearly half the population makes do on less than two dollars per day, so an $80 handset and the connectivity costs for one makes the high sales an even more incredible feat.
The Huawei Ideos is a Google Android powered device which features the Android Operating System 2.2 FroYo, 256MB of RAM, 3G Internet, a 2.8 inch full touch screen, 3.2 Megapixel Camera, E-mail alert support, Memory card support, Mobile Wi-Fi transmitter and a FM Radio, all for the paltry cost of $80 or £52.
The Ideos is sold on the African network Safaricom who also stock two other Huawei products in the form of the Huawei S7 Slim Tablet and a Huawei VF 845 Android smartphone.
What is true to be seen is that there is a market for these handsets outside of the western world and it’s surely something that Google and its products will be set to capitalise on.