NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 10 – In Kenya and globally, competition in the smartphone market is fierce, with rivals rolling out new smartphones every year to outshine each other.
Hence, phone makers have no room to sell mediocre or sub-standard gadgets to customers, as they are spoilt for choice.
As such, big brands every year introduce new products that are more advanced with some of the latest technological innovations.
And one of the firms that has mastered this trend is Samsung, which has been unveiling smartphones annually.
Recently, it introduced a series of new gadgets such as the Samsung Z Flip 5, Z 5-Fold, iPad, and smart watches.
Capital Business caught up with its East and Central Africa Head of Mobile Experience, Charles Kamari, and this is what he had to say.
How has the experience been since the launch of your new smartphone series
Quite an exciting product it is. A super response from the consumers. This year’s buzz has been very accelerated. consumers have deliberately gone to check out these products both online and in the retails stores. We are quite excited and bullish that we will achieve a lot.
How is the consumer response to the price difference compared to your previous series
The price differential is there and one key is that the value of the device is equally significant. The current pricing is at 325,000 shillings at the retail level and we are getting a very unprecedented response from the market. We have reached 700 bookings on pre order basis so far in Kenya alone. We are seeing a lot of appetite for our premium products.
Some would argue this series is a white elephant
I think white elephant is quite misplaced because looking at the value addition of these products, it is quite significant. You cannot compare it to any other device retailing at a lower price. The fold for examples gives you the opportunity to multi-task robustly. It’s not a matter of who has it in terms of the pricing. The flip is a lifestylist allows you to define who you are.
What technologies have you enhanced to achieve sustainability
Samsung has a vision 2030 plan to ensure at least near zero carbon emittance into the ecosystem. We have been very instrumental in making sure that in every new category of product that is launched, there is an improvement of the e-waste management and carbon emission. The packaging of our new products is made of recyclable materials majorly fishing nets recovered from the ocean.
How does Samsung leverage the 5G network
One key thing is that Samsung is the leader of devices that are 5G enabled.60 percent of all our devices are 5G enabled basically from E24 series upwards. It means we are part to part with the operators in terms of having the products 5G ready. We have already collaborated with providers in Kenya and East Africa. We are on a strategy to ensure all our customers are 5G covered.
Insights on your other new gadgets
Watch 6 and watch 6 pro are our new gadgets. For the watch category. We also launched tab S9, S9 PLUS and S9 ultra. The watches enable you a huge range of opportunities from checking your lifestyle. They form an integral part of your lifestyle. They remind you of what you need to do translating to healthy living. The tablets act as your mobile office because the memory capacity is so high. The screen size is quite amazing because you can actually allow you work on the go.
