Image supplied When it comes to budget phones, there are a number of brands that come to mind. You could go for Safaricom’s Neon, Itel’s collection or even Nokia’s budget lineup. Well, it now seems that internet service provider, Faiba is looking to get in on the action with a new ultra-affordable phone.
Faiba 4G took to twitter to announce its new feature phone dubbed Wonder that is already selling on its online Faiba Shop going for KES 3,000. But unlike most feature devices, the Wonder Phone is semi-smart, running on KaiOS that was launched mid last year.
The OS is based on Linux supporting mobile connectivity features like 4G, VoLTE, GPS and Wi-Fi. Apps on the phone are based on HTML5 giving them attractive interfaces resembling what you would normally see on a smartphone. They also do not have high memory requirements which also helps in saving power. Image supplied The feature that obviously stands out on the Wonder Phone is access to Google services including Maps and Google Assistant, which you don’t get everywhere. Under the hood lies 512MB of RAM alongside a dual SIM space which is reasonable for a feature phone. The device is then powered by a 1400mAh battery juiced up via a micro USB port.
It also offers the option to use it as a hotspot for multiple devices, making it an even better deal than the 5000 bob MiFi device.
While brands like TECNO and Nokia dominate the Kenyan market when it comes to feature phones, they haven’t been as popular to many. Feature phones running on KaiOS, on the other hand, have proven to attract masses in some of the world’s biggest markets like India. So, it would be interesting to see how it fairs in the market against the pre-existing brands.
