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Nokia's new Android phone in Kenya, the NokiaX. Kenyans have elevated communication as a basic need.

Kenya

Nokia launches Android smartphone in Kenya

Nokia East Africa General Manager Bruce Howe said there was increasing demand for affordable smartphones in the market with the devices commanding a 40 percent market share/FILE

Nokia East Africa General Manager Bruce Howe said there was increasing demand for affordable smartphones in the market with the devices commanding a 40 percent market share/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 13 – Nokia has launched its first Android smartphone in the Kenyan Market dubbed Nokia X in its bid to stay competitive and boost its market share in the country.

Nokia East Africa General Manager Bruce Howe said there was increasing demand for affordable smartphones in the market with the devices commanding a 40 percent market share.

“The demand for smartphones in Kenya is phenomenal and we have seen huge growth in the last year and where the most growth will come from is in affordable smart phones,” Howe said.

The Nokia X is a dual SIM handset and comes with 4-inch IPS LCD screen, 512MB RAM and a 3 megapixel rear camera.

The phone combines Android applications with Nokia experiences such as HERE Maps, Nokia Xpress and MixRadio and Microsoft services such as Outlook and Skype.

“The phone’s software brings the best of all worlds. It also encompasses features from the Asha platform, such as the Fastlane. The user interface mimics that of Windows Phone, which powers Nokia’s Lumia smartphones,” explained Howe.

The phone will be available for purchase by Thursday next week and will retail at Sh12, 499 with one month of free Skype calls to mobiles and landlines.

According International Data Corporation (IDC) 2014 data, Android still commands the lead in the Operating System market share dominance with a 78.9 percent share in the smart phone operating system market.

Shipments of smartphones in Africa went up 21.5 percent in the second quarter of 2013, with smartphones now accounting for 18 percent of the overall mobile phone market.

IDC reports Korean phone maker Samsung leads recording a 52.1 percent share in African markets.

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IDC forecasts the African smart phone market will double in volume over the next four years and account for close to a third of all handset shipments to the continent by 2017.

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