MTN has joined other Original Equipment Manufacturers to launch a smart feature phone in a bid to deepen Internet penetration in the country.
The 3G mobile device, according to the firm, will not only offer voice services, but also data services.
Speaking at the launch of the mobile device in Lagos on Wednesday, the Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Rahul De, said the device was designed to make smartphones affordable in the country and reach more people with Internet services.
De said the telecoms company had set a standard for other OEMs on the continent.
“This is a way to bridge the gap in smartphone penetration by making the devices affordable. This is a very innovative product and we don’t mind if this category of feature phones opens up but we don’t want to propagate the grey market. If eligible companies start making smart feature phones, we wish them good luck,” De said.
“The aim is to make smartphones affordable and to ensure data penetration and not handsets only. It is not manufactured in Nigeria but in the future, if the volumes pick up, we may consider.
Sharing the future plans of the company, he said more handsets would be introduced in line with emerging technology.
He added, “With this initiative, we are targeting those who are not connected to the Internet. While we are working on the data, we are also working on the device to connect more people to the Internet.”
The General Manager, Data and Devices, MTN, Abiodun Ajayi, said the devices, which has 2.4 inches screen size as well as front and rear camera, runs on KaiOS Operating system and had been pre-installed with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Maps, MyMTNApp, FM Radio, Google Assistant, among others.