New data from mobile operator Safaricom reveals that 67% of mobile phones sold in Kenya are smartphones. In addition, the report shows that in excess of 100 000 new smartphones are shipped to customers each month.
“Safaricom will continue championing for the increased penetration of smartphones from the current 67%, with a view to enabling more Kenyans take advantage of the increasing solutions available for business and personal phones through the devices” Said Peter Arina General Manager Consumer Business unit.
Safaricom is currently the largest mobile operator in Kenya, and has over 85% mobile data market-share. According to a previous report from handset manufacturer Nokia, Kenya’s smartphone penetration was only pegged at 50%.
According to Kenya’s Capital FM, Korean handset maker Samsung occupies a large portion of the market share in Kenya. “Samsung eats a huge chunk currently with over 400,000 high end devices sold in Kenya last year. Samsung also has a grasp of the market across the devices range from entry level all through to high end with a smartphone adoption rate that can only be rivalled by Nokia, the original king of that title. Nokia is still yet to hit the spot it once held as the big man both in the region and globally.”
Samsung is expected to further increase their smartphone lead in Kenya, with the launch of their latest model, the Galaxy S5.
