Safaricom has been selling its Neon smartphones for a couple of years now. The devices are popular because they are affordable because they fetch as little as KES 4,500 for a smartphone experience. The devices can also be purchased via hire purchase in a programme called Lipa Mdogo Mdogo, where buyers make as little as KES 20 per day for the handhelds.
The telco has revealed two new additions to the Lipa Mdogo Mdogo portfolio, Neon Smarta and Neon Ultra. According to Safaricom, the devices ‘offer a larger screen and enhanced camera performance. Both devices are available from as low as KES 50 daily at any Safaricom Shop or dealer outlet or via *544# under option 8 – Lipa Mdogo Mdogo.”
Customers purchasing the two smartphones via Lipa Mdogo Mdogo will enjoy bundled data and minutes throughout the repayment period. The Neon Ultra will be bundled with 120MB and 5 minutes daily, while the Neon Smarta will be bundled with 100MB and 5 minutes daily.
“We are keen to enable more Kenyans enjoy the transformative power of the internet by availing affordable 4G devices through Lipa Mdogo Mdogo, which has already empowered over 1 million Kenyans to upgrade from 2G feature phones. We also continue to invest in our network to provide our customers with the best connectivity across the country,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom PLC.
Neon Ultra specs
| Product Overview | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.5” |
| Camera | 5MP+8MP |
| Memory | |
| – RAM | 2 GB |
| – ROM | 32 GB |
| Network | |
| – Sim Type | Single Sim (Safaricom Locked) |
| Battery | 3750 mAh battery |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Neon Smarta specs
| Product Overview | |
|---|---|
| Display | 5.0” |
| Camera | 5MP+2MP |
| Memory | |
| – RAM | 2 GB |
| – ROM | 32 GB |
| Network | |
| – Sim Type | Single Sim (Safaricom Locked) |
| Battery | 3000 mAh battery |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Background
Lipa Mdogo Mdogo is delivered with Android, Google’s operating system for internet-enabled devices. All smartphones on offer are loaded with a Google Apps suite, including search, maps, Gmail, and YouTube.
Lipa Mdogo Mdogo was introduced in 2020 to spur 4G uptake in the country by upgrading customers from 2G feature phones to affordable 4G smartphones. Since then, Safaricom has partnered with manufacturers such as Transsion, Samsung, and Nokia to include more smartphones on the Lipa Mdogo Mdogo.
