The mid-range market segment in Kenya is still wide open with no one manufacturer dominating it. There are so many players in this segment but no one has truly dominated it.
Huawei is one company keen to flood this segment as is planning to release a new smartphone to help with this later in the month. The phone, the Huawei GR5 2017, will be launched later in the month and the company hopes this device will help increase its local market share and sales. This phone will join other mid-range devices from the company including the Huawei P9 Lite, GR5 2016 and the GR3 2016.
Huawei plans to launch the GR5 2017 in partnership with Safaricom and this means that the phone will be available in all Safaricom shops across the country. Those who want to be among the first ones to get it can pre-order the device for Ksh 34,999 and stand a chance of getting a free Huawei Fit band worth KES 11,999.
Speaking about this device, Mark Hemaobin, the General Manager, Huawei Mobile Kenya said, “We strive to enable users experience great features in more affordable devices at the mid-range level. This can be attributed to the company’s consumer-centric approach that focuses on creating meaningful innovation, as well as an ongoing commitment to build a premium brand and reinforce its global channels and service capabilities.”
The Huawei GR5 2017 will have a dual camera setup that we have seen on the Huawei P9 and the Mate 9. The dual camera on the GR5 2017 has been developed in partnership with Leica and this puts the phone ahead of competitors in the same price range. We live in a world where people want the best of the best when it comes to the cameras on their devices and the dual camera on this phone might help Huawei attract such customers.
Huawei’s Target for 2017
The company is very optimistic this year and is targeting to increase its smartphone sales by at least 50%. In 2016, the company shipped over 139 million smartphones globally, a 29% increase from what it recorded in 2015. According to IPSOS, its global brand awareness has also seen steady growth, rising from 76% to 81%, with a 66.7% and 100% increase in overseas user consideration and preference.
Huawei has been actively pushing its mobile devices to users in Kenya the last couple of years and at the same time we have seen other players such as Samsung pull back on the number of devices they release every year. With this, it is not farfetched for Huawei to expect a 50% increase in sales this year.
“While the global smartphone industry is slowing down on innovation, the company is focused on developing meaningful innovations and makes breakthroughs in the areas of operating system dual-camera technology, artificial intelligence and more.” said Mr. Hemaobin.
Keep it here to learn more about this phone when it is launched in the country. In the meantime, go and read out review of the Huawei P9 Lite.
Read Now: Huawei P9 Lite Review
