Safaricom has unveiled the new Neon Kicka 5. The launch comes two years after it first launched the Neon kicka 4. The Neon Kicka phones are unique line of price friendly smartphones.
Same as the Neon Kicka 4 the Neon Kicka 5 is optimised for new phone users and supports high speed 3G broadband. This allows users to enjoy the speed, reliability and wide coverage of the Safaricom network.
As a budget friendly phone it will retail at Ksh 3,500. You can get it at all Safaricom shops countrywide, Safaricom dealer outlets and online via Masoko, Safaricom’s e-commerce platform.
It comes with a small 4.95 inch display an improvement from Kicka 4’s 4-inch screen. It 8 GB storage means that you will have enough storage space, which is also better than its sister Kick 4.
The phone runs on Android GO, which in most cases is meant to conserve storage and memory usage. It is also powered by quad core MediaTek processor.
It comes with a 1.800mAh battery size. Its camera has a 2MP rear lens (definitely this is below the 7MP ideal threshold for a good photos) and a 0.3MP selfie camera.
When it launched it Kicka 4 two years ago, Safaricom’s aim was to give at least 10 million Kenyans access to the internet through their mobile phones by offering affordable 3G devise, convienent payment terms and personalised data offers. The campaign was dubbed “Maisha ni Digital’’.
Well it seems the Kicka 5 is also in line to further boost internet uptake. According to 2019 statistics from ITU, internet users in Kenya stand at 46,870,422 people which corresponds to a penetration rate of 89%. This is a huge increase compared to 200,000 internet users back in the year 2000.
Clearly the internet penetration has increased. However, internet access and affordability remain the biggest challenges for the country’s rural population. Most mobile service companies now provide limited 3G internet services, with some upgrading to 4G, despite the 4G signals not covering most areas in rural Kenya.
However, this is beginning to change with the recent Google’s project loon and Telkom 4G project which is aimed at sending more balloons to most parts of rural Kenya. According to a Telkom tweet, in April, these balloons will join the eight balloons that are already active and part of a network integration exercise in Kenyan airspace.
“The loon service will seek to use its 4G/LTE internet solution to connect underserved communities in Kenya. Initial coverage areas have already been identified, starting with Nairobi, Machakos, Nyeri, Nakuru, Kitui, Nanyuki, Narok and Kisii’’ read part of the tweet.
With such initiatives internet uptake will continue to increase especially with rural communities who are still considered newcomers in the digital world.
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