Next LG V30 Smartphone to Have 6-inch OLED FullVision Display

The next major smartphone from LG will feature first-ever OLED Fullvision display.

The next flagship smartphone from LG Electronics (LG) will be the first ever device to feature a plastic OLED FullVision display, consistent with the company’s smartphone display strategy that started with the LG G6 and continues with the LG Q6.

As LG’s first OLED smartphone since the LG G Flex 2 in 2015, the shift marks a move by LG to extend its OLED leadership from the premium TV sector into the premium smartphone space.

Beyond their slim profile and excellent visuals, OLED displays in smartphones are ideal for VR applications, one of the key growth areas in the smartphone industry.

“Expertise in OLED has long been a core competency of LG, and the technology has always been seen as a potential value-add for smartphones,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

“With competition in the global smartphone space fiercer now than ever, we felt that this was the right time to reintroduce OLED displays in our mobile products.”

With consumers seeking bigger displays but eschewing larger phones that are uncomfortable to hold in one hand, LG’s FullVision display is a key contributor to the trend toward minimized bezels in smartphones.

OLED was simply the next evolution of FullVision displays, delivering incredible quality, vividness, and clarity to smartphone visuals.

At six inches, the OLED FullVision display will be LG’s largest in four years while the actual body will be smaller than last year’s LG V20.

As the upper and lower bezels have been reduced by 20 and 50 percent when compared to the V20, the LG logo has been moved from the bottom of the display to the back of the phone to maximize viewable screen space.

The FullVision display’s immersive and expansive visual experience is enhanced on the 4.15 million pixels of the QHD+ (1440 x 2880) OLED screen.

Superb image quality is achieved via emissive OLED technology which reproduces perfect black and colors with greater accuracy across a wider color spectrum.

By implementing optimal image algorithms gleaned from years of OLED research and development, visuals on this OLED display deliver 148 percent of the sRGB ¹ color space for digital images and 109 percent of the DCI-P3 ² color space for digital cinema.

Another intrinsic advantage of OLED technology is operational response time, which is tens of times faster than LCD.

This accelerated response time effectively eliminates afterimages, an important consideration for action movies and VR.

Also, with support for HDR10, watching compatible movies and videos on this display offers a whole new eye-opening experience.

In addition, since the screen in the upcoming smartphone will be based on plastic OLED technology – also known as P-OLED – the edges can be curved to allow for a more ergonomic design and a better feel in the hand.

P-OLED is created by placing pixels on a plastic substrate which is much stronger than a glass base. What’s more, the display is protected by Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass 5 that incorporates shatter-resistant technology.

Most importantly, using advanced encapsulation and pixel-scanning technology, the burn-in problem that has affected OLED technology in the past has been all but eliminated in the P-OLED technology in LG’s upcoming device.

Encapsulation significantly reduces oxidation of the pixels and LG’s pixel-scanning technology allows for less energy to be applied to each pixel, also saving battery power.

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¹sRGB is the color space created by HP and Microsoft for use as a reference standard on monitors, printers and the internet since 1996.

² DCI-P3 is a color space proposed by the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI), a group led by major Hollywood movie studios, mainly used as a standard for measuring the richness and accuracy of color expressed in movies.

Google’s Trusted Contacts App, a Location Sharing Software Now on iOS

Terry Gachie

Google’s Trusted Contacts app, a personal safety app meant for emergency situations, is now available to Apple’s mobile devices.

The app was launched in December last year but it was only made available to Android; about eight months later, it is available to iOS.

The app is designed to be used in emergency situations or even everyday situations.

I am not sure how many people want their loved ones to know their exact location (especially partners), but maybe it’s just me. I would go as far as to say that the location sharing app and the spy app are siblings.

This seems like a complete set up for those who rely on lies to conceal their ‘ungodly’ activities. But then again, maybe it is just me.

We have already been introduced to children’s tracking apps; hence, a location sharing app does not come as such a surprise.

How Trusted Contacts App Works

With trusted contacts app, you are able to add your preferred ‘trusted contacts’ who can, in turn, check whether you are online or not essentially confirming whether you are okay.

The select trusted contacts can request your location, but the app will only respond if you take a given period of time to respond.

Google has also revamped the app offering more control when automatically sharing your location.

In case you are online, your trusted contact can establish whether you have moved around moments ago.

In case they feel worried about you, they can request to see your exact location. If you deny the request, it is taken to mean that you are okay.

In case you do not respond within 5 minutes, the location of the device will be shared with the contact automatically.

If you are offline, the Trusted Contacts app still allows your contacts to receive the location of your phone.

That’s not all:

The app also allows the sharing of your last known location five minutes after the location request has been made.

By default, the time before a location can be sent automatically is five minutes. With the new updates, however, you have the autonomy set the time before your location can be automatically sent.

This delay can be set in the app’s settings section.

These are not the only changes that have been made to the app. Others include the ability to add trusted contacts by phone number, and the addition of nine new languages bringing the total to 25 languages supported.

Also, the app has been integrated with Google Maps location sharing. This enables users to share their permanent location with selected contacts and locate them within Google Maps.

It’s a Shared Platform

The Trusted Contacts app is not the only kids on the block. There are a few other location sharing platforms that have been launched by giant multinationals.

Snapchat recently launched Snap Map, a feature that lets users share and update their location on an animated map anytime the app is open.

Facebook has not been left behind either since Live Location launched earlier this year serves the same purpose. This feature enables friends to send their location to one another directly within text conversations.

What are your thoughts about location sharing apps? Yay or Nay? Talk to us.

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to Deactivate PINs Not on iTax

Terry Gachie

Some KRA PINs may be on their last legs as the taxman is out hunting.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has urged Kenyans to feed their profiles on its iTax system by August 31^st else their PINs (Personal Identification Numbers) will be deactivated.

A notice posted by KRA also added that active businesses that file nil or no returns would as well have their pins deactivated. This would spell doom for the businesses since if the KRA PINs is rendered inactive, it would mean that they are not compliant.

This would be a very costly affair because such businesses would miss out on opportunities to work with the government or companies that require a company to be tax compliant before doing business with it.

The taxman also noted this would also affect those who are in the iTax system and fail to file returns.

KRA further advised the public to use the PIN checker link available on the iTax portal to validate details of their suppliers and confirm whether the PINs are active.

Boosting Compliance

Last minute rush is an inherent part of the Kenyan culture. There is always that group of individuals who plead for a deadline extension.

Perhaps, KRA is among organizations that understand this culture very well. On several occasions, they have obliged to requests to extend the deadline.

The deadline for filing returns for 2016-2017 has already passed and KRA is not relenting on those who failed to file. Earlier this year, KRA increased the fine for those not filing returns from Ksh. 1,000 to Ksh. 20,000.

This time, the taxman has promised to effect the fines by August 31^st.

The notice read in part, “…those who have not updated their KRA PINs on the iTax should do so by 31^st August 2017 and commence filing immediately…,”

The notice by KRA suggests that there are a significant number of taxpayers who do not file taxes or have not submitted their profiles on the iTax system.

In June 2017, KRA revealed that about 2.4 million Kenyans did not file tax returns and that this number is half the number of Kenyans who have been issued with PINs.

If KRA nets a noncompliant taxpayer, he or she will be subjected to fines. Businesses will be fined Ksh. 20,000, Ksh. 5,000 for SMEs and Ksh. 10,000 for salaries employees. This is as stipulated in the Tax Procedure Act 2015.

The taxman hopes that these fines will motivate people to take the exercise seriously and file their returns.

This year, KRA collected Ksh. 1.365 trillion by June against a target of Ksh. 1.431trillion.

PAYE tax bands were increased earlier this year but KRA netted Ksh. 2.5 billion less when compared to last year’s amount.

It is such shortfall that has encouraged the taxman to come up with a strategy to boost compliance.

The decision to aims at nabbing tax cheats but, most importantly, to boost tax compliance in the country.

Those under who fall under any of the above categories should take necessary steps and avoid having their KRA PINs deactivated.

If the KRA can net silent billionaires, you will not be hard to find so play your part and it shall be well.

Uber Offers Free Rides to Polling Stations for Persons Living with Disabilities

Terry Gachie

Uber free rides for people living with disabilities will be available on August 8th.

Uber Kenya has partnered with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to provide transport services to persons living with disabilities (PLWD) during the August 8^th elections.

This group will be transported to their respective polling stations and these rides will be offered free of charge.

The electoral body will provide a list of 700 persons who live in Nairobi, Thika, and Mombasa. Of these, 500 will apply to Nairobi and Thika while the remaining 200 will benefit those in Mombasa.

Uber, says that it will provide a special code with two free rides to and from the polling stations for all persons with disabilities registered with the IEBC in Nairobi, Thika, and Mombasa

That’s not all:

The taxi hailing company will also give all Uber riders a Ksh. 200 discount to and from the polling stations in cities that they have established operations.

To enjoy the offer, all Uber riders will be required to go to the promotions tab in the app and key in the promotion code VOTEKE2017.

This offer is valid on Tuesday 8^th between 6.00am and 6.00pm.

The general manager for Uber East Africa Loic Amado said that the move is aimed at encouraging riders and driver partners to participate in the voting process.

Loic was quoted saying that the company hopes to bring the ‘ballot closer to riders’ in the three towns and that Uber’s ease of service would help the situation.

The taxi hailing company has gone a step further by setting up an in-app notification that will remind citizens to vote. This will include a link to the IEBC site meant to help them locate their polling stations.

The Uber Kenya-IEBC partnership also encourages driver partners to distribute voting educational materials to riders.

Uber Free Rides Not a New Thing

This is not the first time that Uber is extending offers to its users during elections; the taxi firm has in the past offered free rides in the UK and South Africa.

In the UK, the taxi hailing company partnered with Whizz-Kidz to offer free rides to this group of users living in London, Birmingham, and Manchester.

In South Africa, the company offered an R30 discount off trips to and from the voting stations in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban & Port Elizabeth.

Voters in South Africa were required to key in the code “VOTESA” into the app’s promotional tab to activate the discount.

Taxify Kenya Reduces Prices in Nairobi, Albeit for a Short While

Terry Gachie

Taxify Kenya prices have once again been lowered for Nairobi customers.

This comes a few weeks after the company lowered their prices for a whole week in mid-June. The company has also increased its prices in March this year.

Regular price changes signal the price wars that have been going on among the top three e-hailing services namely Uber, Little, and Taxify Kenya.

The Kenyan taxi hailing market has been a headache for various brands as they have been forced to lower the prices over and over again.

In March this year, Uber was forced to revise its prices after its driver-partners took to the streets (actually almost lived there) demanding a fair share of the cake.

New Taxify Kenya Prices:

In case you are celebrating, it is too early. The price cut is not as significant as we would have hoped. But, the new prices will definitely affect the competition.

Base price: Ksh.75
Price per Kilometer: Ksh.30
Price per minute: Ksh.2

This undercuts Uber and Little whose base fare stand at Ksh. 100; the price per kilometer is Ksh. 35 and Ksh. 30 respectively.

Also, while Taxify Kenya prices will be Ksh. 2 per minute, Uber and Little will charge Ksh. 3 and Ksh. 4 respectively. Taxify Kenya prices, therefore, wins. Well, somehow.

As noted, the reduction is not that significant. The base fare has remained the same while the price per kilometer has reduced from Ksh. 32 to Ksh. 30. The price per minute has only reduced by Ksh. 0.3: that’s from Ksh. 2.3 to Ksh. 2.

Price Wars among Taxi Hailing Companies

The price wars favor consumers who enjoy cheap rides while they remain a headache for different brands.

Uber has, perhaps, been the worst hit. The company had been forced to slash its prices by 35% but a drivers’ strike ensued forcing the company to act. A fare hike was introduced and driver partners returned to work.

The company has been struggling to keep both customer and driver-partners happy.

Safaricom’s Little is perhaps, among the taxi hailing services that have been giving Uber a run for its money. The company has also had to slash its prices to remain competitive.

In 2016, the company was forced to slash its prices from Ksh. 55 to Ksh. 30 per kilometer. This also included a Ksh. 4 shilling rate per minute.

Little’s services do not come with flat rates or price surges like Uber and this has made the company stand out as the cheaper option.

This was a strategy to woo customers and it seems to have worked. The company quickly became a threat to Uber which had been ruling the airwaves prior to the arrival of Little Cab and other taxi hailing services.

In late last year, Little Ride and Mondo also introduced a fare slash to stay afloat in the competitive taxi hailing market.

Mondo lowered its prices to Ksh. 48 per kilometer, Ksh. 3 per minute, and a base fare of Ksh. 100.

These wars have been a headache for various brands since they have significantly affected profit margins.

Back to Taxify Kenya, It is still unclear about how long the offer will run so just enjoy while it lasts.

Intel Donates High Performance Computing Device to USIU-Africa for Student Research

Brand Voice

Intel Corporation’s East Africa Office has donated a High Performance Computing (HPC) device worth over KES 5 million, to the School of Science and Technology for use by students in their research projects.

High Performance Computing (HPC) is the practice of aggregating computing power to achieve much higher performance in comparison to performance that could be delivered from a single computing device. High Performance Computing makes possible the harnessing of data, advancing of research and drawing of insights.

The device was presented to the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza on Friday, July 24 by the Director of the Corporate Affairs Group at Intel East Africa Mr. Mark Matunga, to aid in the processing of large amounts of data, collected as part of student research projects.

While presented the device, Mr. Matunga reiterated Intel’s commitment to the partnership with USIU-Africa that will extend to the hosting of a HPC Conference on campus from 3-5 Octoer 2017.

The Conference to be themed “The Role of HPCs in Accelerating Research and Innovation in Africa” will invite participation from all over the world, and is expected to lead to the creation of a five-node HPC network across Africa.

Speaking during the event, Prof. Zeleza hailed the budding partnership between the University and Intel Corporation, pointing at the myriad opportunities that have now available for students of the Information Systems and Technology, and Applied Computer Technology programs.

Under the aegis of the High Performance Computing Consortium-Africa (HPC2-Africa), USIU-Africa has partnered with the Carnegie Africa Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP) and Intel Corporation to champion the development and harnessing of HPC and its benefits in the African continent.

The consortium will provide a platform through which key stakeholders such as universities, technology companies, industry, government, research bodies and development partners will help establish the African HPC network.

Students interested in utilizing the device to be housed in the Innovation and Incubation Center, may contact the School of Science and Technology on email ([email protected]). Registration for the HPC Conference is expected to be open before the end of July 2017.

Featured Image: Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza (Center) receives a high performance computing central processing unit from the High Performance Computing Group at Intel Corporation’s East Africa Office on Friday, July 21, in his office. The device was presented by Mr. Mark Matunga (Corporate Affairs Director, Intel East Africa) for use by students from the School of Science ad Technology to crunch data. Looking on from left: Mr. Mike Mwangi, Ms. Lavinniah Muthoni (Communications Consultant, Intel EA), Ms. Everlyn Musa (Program Coordinator, Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program) Mr. Mark Matunga, Prof. Paul Zeleza, Mr. Benson Kinoti (Education Programs Manager, Intel EA), Dr. Paul Okanda (ICT Director), Dr. Jimmy Macharia (Dean of the School of Science & Technology) and Mr. James Ogolla (University Advancement Director).

Facebook’s Fake News Tool Designed to Reclaim Factbook Status

Terry Gachie

The ‘word of mouse’ cannot be trusted anymore. We consume it with a pinch of salt. Fake news and rogue news sites everywhere.

It is a sad state of affair especially given that this is an electioneering period.

If you have ever received fake or misleading news, chances are that social media was the channel used. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that Facebook is seeking to get a factbook status.

The company is rolling out tools to help curb fake news.

Facebook is not very happy about being referred to as a fake news source and that explains why efforts have been directed at weeding out misleading news.

The General Elections are around the corner and typical Kenyan habit, the Facebook is deluged with fake or misleading news about various candidates.

Already, the Facebook high court has already passed judgment on the recent death of IEBC’s ICT Manager Chris Msando. They have already ‘identified’ the suspect and are now demanding for answers.

Facebook has been trying to establish itself as a credible news source but instances of fake news have come in the way.

The latest effort by Facebook is a tool that is designed to help Kenyans spot fake news.

The tool is available in both English and Swahili and will be shown to all Facebook users in all parts of the country.

It gets better:

The social networking company will also place notices on national newspaper and radio stations to spot fake news.

Cases of Fake News

A few days ago, a fake news report about the coming elections was made to look as if it is from CNN.

Earlier, there had been a fake video imitating the Focus on Africa Programme that airs on BBC was distributed via social media.

Both news reports had fake surveys showing President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead in the polls.

CNN took to Twitter to distance itself from the video while BBC urged people to authenticate any stories claiming to be by the broadcaster.

Then, there is the worst kind of fake news. Those that involve sharing news of someone’s death yet the person is alive and kicking. Former president Mwai Kibaki and veteran journalist Fred Obachi Machokaa are the recent victims of rogue bloggers.

The Tool

The educational tool will pop up at the top of your news feed.

When you click on this tool, you will access more information and resources in the Facebook Help Center. This includes tips on how to spot false news such as checking the URL on the site.

Facebook says that the tool will only show up on your news feed for a few days in 14 countries, including Kenya.

Trust Rate of Social Media News

Reports have indicated that Kenyans are skeptical about election news shared on social media.

A study conducted by GeoPoll and Portland and involving 2000 participants showed that 90% of these respondents have seen fake news about the general elections. Of these, 87% of these identified the news as deliberately misleading or fake news.

The survey also showed that traditional media is still the most trusted source of news with television leading the pack.

Social media has considerably lower trust rate than traditional media.

Kenyans would like to access more factual information especially when it comes to the general elections in place of speculation and commentary.

That may explain why Facebook is not sitting pretty and waiting for things to sort themselves out.

Despite the introduction of the tool, Facebook remains under pressure to do more to curb fake news.

This Week in Tech: Nokia’s Comeback and More Weekly Tech Trends

Terry Gachie

China’s richest man Jack Ma came and left after dropping memorable nuggets of wisdom.

The week began well; apart from the fact that Antarctica is yet to come for her weather.

The tech world kept rotating at an interesting speed.

Below are the top 10 tech trends this week:

1. Nokia Gets its Groove Back

After being MIA for a long time, Nokia has finally returned into the Kenya market.

HMD Global this week launched four Nokia smartphones into the Kenyan Market.

This comes after Blackberry and Motorola came knocking and begging for a reunion.

Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and the new Nokia 3310 enter a competitive market, but, you never know, the sales volumes might surprise us.

2. Kaspersky Antivirus Gratis!

You heard that right people! A free version of Kaspersky Antivirus should be making its way to your systems in less than two months.

The free version has been dubbed Kaspersky Free and it joins the league of other free antiviruses available in the market.

Kaspersky Free comes with core features; hence, you should lower your expectations a bit; just expect antivirus software with bare essentials. That should not be hard to envision.

3. Telkom Kenya Goes Santa

Telkom Kenya has announced free calls over this weekend to all its subscribers.

The company has announced notable growth and they credit this to the rebranding that happened two months ago.

The company says that it has now crossed the 3 million subscriber mark.

The free calls apply within the Telkom network only.

4. Telco Masts are the Military’s Next Order of Business

The Kenyan military will be deployed to man Telco masts on Election Day in regions that have been marked as hotspots.

This is aimed at preventing network disruptions as the elections body led by Wafula Chebukati will be using the network to relay election results.

The affected areas are Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera, and the masts belong to Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom.

5. Dedicated Hashflags for Kenyan Elections

The General elections are a little over a week away and since they are happening in the age of social media, Twitter has designed the hashflag program, a platform that will support debates and views about the elections.

The hashflag program is specialized hashtags with custom Twitter emoji that allow people to share their views on the August elections.

The two hashflags are #electionske and #electionske2017.

6. Bharti Airtel Ain’t Making Dough

Airtel Kenya has been gracious enough to introduce awesome products such as the Tubonge plan but things are not going so well for its parent company.

Bharti Airtel has reported a 75% drop in profits.

Revenues have declined by 14%.

7. Twitter Q2 Revenues Take a Deep Nose Dive

It seems that not even Trump tweets could help Twitter’s growth plan.

The company has reported a drop in revenues as well as a 0% growth.

The Q2 2017 results showed that Twitter earned $602 for Q2 2016.

Ads revenue stood at $489 million which is an 8% decrease.

8. Jeff Bezos’ Takes the Crown from Bill Gates

This week, Jeff Bezos became the richest ten digit dude beating Bill Gates, albeit for a short while. Gates has held that position for several years now.

The recent surge in Amazon stock pushed Bezo’s fortune to over $90 billion beating Bill Gates who has a net worth of a little over $90 billion.

9. Huawei Technologies is Making Dough

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd has reported a 15% increase in revenue in H1 2017.

The company reported 105.4 billion Yuan in sales from its consumer segment which was complimented by the sale of premium handsets such as P10, Honor 9, and Mate 9.

10. Malware Alert for Android!

ESET East Africa, an internet security company, has issued a malware alert to mobile users on the Android platform.

Alternative app stores have been identified as a potential host to malware and that is why Android users are advised to download apps from official app store.

This comes at a time when cases of attack by malicious malware and viruses have been on the rise.

That’s for this week. Have a good one.

Gather Up! Free Kaspersky Antivirus Software for Everyone!

Terry Gachie

Kaspersky Lab has released a version of free Kaspersky antivirus called Kaspersky Free.

These are definitely some fantastic news especially since there are a lot of users who cannot afford the premium version.

Our options have been limited to just a few good free antiviruses but Kaspersky has come to our rescue in the best way possible.

The U.S. is the first beneficiary but plans for a global roll out are underway.

The global roll out began on July 25^th but it may be some time before it reaches Kenya. The earliest time we can expect it in Kenya in early September.

With recent malware attacks, the free Kaspersky antivirus could not come at a much better time. We can only hope that it will not be vulnerable like most freebies.

Kaspersky promises that an installation of Kaspersky Free will positively improve the protection of all users.

About the Free Kaspersky Antivirus

Kaspersky Free has been released following one-and-a-half years of testing in select regions.

Even though the freebie lacks many features that come with the paid version, it includes core features that are necessary for protection.

The free antivirus software comes with bare essentials such as a file, email and web protection, automatic updates, self-defense, and ability to quarantine infected files.

This means you will be protected against malicious software in portable storage media such as memory cards.

You will also be protected against phishing.

To cut the long story short, the free antivirus version comes with indispensable basics that everyone should have.

The premium version costs $50 annually per device and it comes with extra features such as parental controls, virtual private networks, and extra protection for online transactions.

Kaspersky has explained that the free version is not intended to replace the paid antivirus software especially since the freebie only comes with bare essentials.

The company also says that the free Kaspersky antivirus version is light on ads. This may be the case but freebies always come with a compromise. It would not be shocking if the Kaspersky Free is planning on using your data for other purposes. Just saying.

Kaspersky Lab a Snitch?

Kaspersky Lab was founded in 1997 and grew rapidly through the 2000s. Today, it is one of the leading anti-virus software in the world.

In recent years, the company has found itself in the middle of the U.S.-Russia feud as it has been accused of having close ties with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Russia has been accused of hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential elections which ended in a Donald Trump victory over rival Hillary Clinton.

The launch of the free Kaspersky antivirus comes at a time when the United States strongly feels that the Moscow-based cyber security firm has been feeding the Russian government.

It gets worse because there is a bill in Congress that seeks to prohibit the Department of Defense from using any Kaspersky products.

The company has stated its U.S. revenue has dropped from $164 million in 2014 to $156 in 2016.

Away from the U.S.-Russia beef (which is none of our business anyway), the free Kaspersky antivirus software is welcome. Hopefully, it will not have holes like some freebies in the market (names withheld).

Nokia to Make a Big Comeback in Kenya

Terry Gachie

It is no secret that Nokia smartphones are the O.G. of mobile technology. Only 2000’s kids are allowed to refute this.

Nokia smartphones have been missing in action in the Kenyan market for quite some time but there is a planned comeback this week.

Mark Thursday, July 27th on your calendars people!

Our taste buds were awakened earlier this year during this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona when Nokia announced a comeback.

HMD Global, the company that now owns the Nokia Brand has announced that it will launch several Nokia smartphones this week.

The company launched Nokia 3310, Nokia 3, 5, and 6 in South Africa last month. The Nigeria launch will happen on the July 25^th while the Kenya launch will happen two days later, the 27^th.

It is still unclear which devices will be launched but it does not hurt to guess. We can predict that the company will launch the same smartphones it launched in South Africa.

The Local Smartphone Market

Those of us who were privileged enough to meet Nokia when it was Nokia are experiencing nostalgia.

Nokia smartphones did leave us with precious memories. Ones we hold dear.

But, then, the smartphone market is not the same and Nokia should know that by now. Durability and quality are appreciated but prices also play a major role in determining the adoption rate.

Nokia must be willing to sell handset at a pocket-friendly price. Mark my words Nokia.

Also, Kenyans forget fast; hence, consistency in developing new handset models would be appreciated.

We have already covered Nokia 3310 specifications in an earlier article.

Let us now focus on the specifications of Nokia 3, 5, and 6.

Nokia 3 Specifications

The handset comes with a 5.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1280×720 resolution. Nokia was gracious enough to include Gorilla Glass protection.

The handset runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and runs on a quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A53.

The 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage, external 256GB, signal an entry handset.

The smartphone comes with 8MP rear and front facing cameras.

The 2,630mAh Li-Ion battery capacity is a bit low, especially for heavy users.

Nokia 3 price: Ksh.15,000

Nokia 5 Specifications

The smartphone comes with a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with 1280×720 resolution. You can also expect Gorilla Glass protection.

The handset runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Snapdragon 430 Chipset, and Octa-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 CPU. This also includes Adreno 505 GPU.

The RAM and internal memory are the same as those of Nokia 3, 2GB and 16GB, expandable by up to 256GB.

The 13MP main camera and 8MP front facing camera are okay. Both come with f/2.0.

The handset is powered by a 3,000mAh Li-Ion battery.

In addition, Nokia 5 has a front facing fingerprint sensor

Nokia 5 Price: Ksh.20,000

Nokia 6 Specifications

The 5.5-inch IPS LCD display comes with Gorilla Glass Protection.

The handset is powered by Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Snapdragon 430 Chipset, and Octa-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A53. Adreno 505 is also part of the action.

The 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, external 256GB, is acceptable.

The 16MP main camera and 8MP front facing camera promise decent photos (of course judging from the specs on paper). Both cameras come with f/2.0.

Nokia 6 will be powered by a 3,000mAh Li-Ion battery.

The handset also complies with current security requirement: a fingerprint sensor-front mounted.

Nokia 6 Price: Ksh.25,000

The three handsets support 4G LTE and Dual SIM.

Nokia smartphones have been MIA but have now resurfaced to get a piece of the action.

Are you looking forward to the launch? Will you be purchasing Nokia smartphones going forward?

Let us know in the comments section.

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