Vodacom has reportedly introduced an affordable entry-level 4G smartphone what it calls a cloud-based Mobicel priced at R249 ($14.47) in South Africa.
In a press release, it says the reason for this was to “reduce the cost of smartphone access” and to “accelerate the migration of customers from legacy networks [2G and 3G] to modern 4G networks”.
The smartphone offers 48MB of RAM, 128MB of ROM and a 2.8-inch screen with a 1000mAh battery. It comes preloaded with apps like YouTube, TikTok and Facebook, which is accessed via the cloud, to offer a “smartphone lite” experience.
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Davide Tacchino, Managing Executive for Terminals at Vodacom South Africa says: “As smartphone penetration continues to rise, with many South Africans now owning a smartphone, the digital divide remains a challenge, among those who still rely on 2G and 3G networks.”
“The cloud phone will also help customers still anchored to 2G phones and not familiar with the touch screen experience, allowing them to appreciate a smooth transition to the data and application world.”
Our cloud-based phone is not just another phone, but a tool that enables access to the digital ecosystem, says Tacchino.
The company cited a report by the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development in 2022, supported by parent company Vodafone, which argued that lowering the cost of devices is key to increasing access to smartphones.
It said that the Alliance for Affordable Internet estimates that a smartphone priced at R1,094.24 (US$62/ €56) could cost almost 63% of the average monthly income across Africa.
Additionally, the Broadband Commission’s report recommended that so-called thin-client phones – like the new cloud-based phone which Vodacom has delivered, should be explored, it said.
” The new cloud-based phone leverages the power of cloud computing to deliver a range of features typically associated with entry smartphones at a more affordable cost.”
