$80 Android Phone Sells Like Hotcakes In Kenya 205
kkleiner writes "Earlier this year, the Chinese firm Huawei unveiled IDEOS through Kenya's telecom titan, Safaricom. So far, this $80 smartphone has found its way into the hands of 350,000+ Kenyans, an impressive sales number in a country where 40% of the population lives on less than two dollars a day. The smartphone is the exemplar of a truly liberating device, and thanks to Android and Huawei, it has the potential to reach virtually untapped markets."
Re:Google account required? (Score:5, Informative)
People in Kenya aren't just getting started with mobile telephony. Getting smart phones may be a little newer for many but many, many people have been using cell phones for a while. A password is not a big issue. In fact they are already used to being more secure with their phones as many people have been using services like M-PESA to pay bills and store funds. In a number of ways the typical Kenyan is more mobile phone savvy than the average American.
Re:It's not a bad phone (Score:4, Informative)
I didn't read the article - so I don't know where they got the $80 part. I think we pay $100 in Nairobi. So I didn't think $140 in the US was bad. And there may be better deals in the US. I just knew I could get it at Newegg and I like dealing with them. No idea why you'd pay so much in Mexico though. Is no one else competing at a lower price point with another device?
Re:It's not a bad phone (Score:5, Informative)
They've revamped it as the Ideos X1 and are selling it at AU$99 now (the specs are identical).
I bought one of the original 8150s, and have been very happy with it. As long as you keep an eye on the number of running apps, it's responsive enough and does as much as any other Froyo phone.
Ignorant bastards (Score:4, Informative)
I am Kenyan and am actually updating this using a Netbook tethered to an IDEOS.
Most of the people commenting here are apparently very ignorant.
1) Most people are not as poor as Western media always make us to be. They only show poor people in sad situation but obviously as a growing country there is a growing Middle income who are the target of cheaper affordable smartphone.
2) $2 is quite a sum(actually = Ksh 200). The living cost are not as high as in US or Europe so stop making comparisons using your worldview as a yardstick.
3) IDEOS is brilliant idea.
BTW the iphone cost Ksh 100,000 ($1000), Galaxy S ksh 36000 ($370)
These phone are only available to the rich.
Re:It's not a bad phone (Score:5, Informative)
My company does localization of Android phones for local distributors. Currently on my desk are a Nexus One, Nexus S, two Ideos phones, an Ideos X5 and an Ideos X3. This does not include non-active phones I have at home. Of this set, by far, the lowest speced and weakest phone is the Ideos, of which I have two, because it is an active project. Because it is an active project, my SIM card is in one of the IDEOS phones, and it has been my main phone for several months now.
I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, that while the phone IS, in fact, slower than the rest of them, and its screen IS quite inferior, it is definitely a useable (and useful) smart phone. Your criticism is simply without merit.
Shachar
Nice Picture (Score:5, Informative)