Chinese phone maker enters Kenya’s market with high end smartphone
The battle for the smartphone market in Kenya has intensified with the recent launch by Chinese smartphone maker Gionee Communication Equipment of its flagship phones that are targeting businesspeople and professionals.
Its debut phone, the high end Gionee S6S brand, to be unveiled in the Kenyan market in three weeks’ time costs $400 in India.
“The smartphones market in Kenya is growing at a steady rate and Gionee is coming in with an eye on getting a bigger share of this market,” said the marketing director of Kilimall, Larry Liu. The online platform will be the regional distributor of the phones.
Gionee is set to shake up the smartphone market in Kenya based on its reach and business model. Globally it is ranked among the top 10 smartphone brands having sold an estimated 30 million handsets in 2015.
It has established markets in India and China and has already made forays in Nigeria where it sells on average 20,000 handsets each month.
The company sells on average 60,000 units every month.
The metallic smartphone has a 3130mAh battery, which delivers up to 39 hours of talk-time and standby time of up to 558 hours. It also has an extreme mode, which increases the standby battery time to 33hrs at 10 per cent battery.
And in a bid to fully capture the local market, the company intends to later introduce Gionee P5W and F103 Pro targeted at young people and the middle market and retailing at $90
“The phone boasts long battery life, making it ideal for business people who run mail and other message on their phones.”
The launch has rubberstamped Kenya’s burgeoning demand for smartphones and the phone makers growing enthusiasm in sating this appetite. Only a month ago Chinese tech firm Huawei Technologies launched its latest high-end phone in the Kenyan market targeting photo enthusiasts.
The $550 Huawei P9 has dual lenses at the back camera for sharper pictures. The Gionee S6S, launched in India mid-June, has a unibody metal design and fingerprint sensor and is expected to battle for market share in Kenya with leading smartphone brands like iPhone and Samsung.
