TECNO TAKES SMARTPHONES TO THE NEXT LEVEL
TECNO has launched a new range of mobile phones that will provide African users with cutting-edge technology. Neil Ford reports
Chinese mobile manufacturer TECNO has launched a new range of mobile phones called POVA, tapping into the growing demand for smartphones in Africa that it contributed to creating in the first place. TECNO’s handsets have already helped make smartphones with cutting-edge technology accessible for a far larger share of the African population and now POVA offers the hardware and software necessary for quality gaming and other advanced entertainment uses.
Although fewer Africans have mobile phones than people in other parts of the world, the gap is smaller than might be imagined and is narrowing quickly. The lack of fixed-line infrastructure, coupled with the falling cost of both buying a mobile phone and packages has driven uptake, effectively allowing many African countries to leapfrog stages of technological use.
The next big change, which is already underway, is the shift from simpler handsets to smartphones. Estimates vary but the smartphone penetration rate for Africa as a whole stands at about 35-40% at present. Online penetration rates are increasing but vary massively across the continent, from 4.7% in Western Sahara to 87.2% in Kenya.
Most people access the internet via mobile phones, so improved access to smartphones will only speed this process up and the transition will be eased by the development of high-quality phones, such as TECNO’s new POVA range.
“With smartphones becoming an important part of everyone’s daily lives, at TECNO we will continue to raise the bar on creating smartphones that are designed around extraordinary performance, powered by category-leading specifications,” a company spokesperson tells African Business.
The new range will encourage more people to go online, as mobile connections are usually cheaper than fixed-line broadband in most of the continent. According to telecoms industry body GSMA, 84% of all adult Africans, or 1bn people, will have a SIM connection by 2025, up from 747m SIM connections in 2017. The transition to smartphones means that there is huge market growth potential for TECNO to tap into with POVA by capitalising on its strong and established position in the African smartphone market, not just this year but for years to come. At the same time, demand in most other markets around the world is slowing, so focusing on Africa seems like a sensible business strategy.
“Today, consumers live in a digitalfirst world and demand always-on connectivity combined with a world-class experience,” says TECNO’s spokesperson. “With POVA, we are not only elevating the user experience with a new benchmark for cost-efficient smartphones, but are establishing a new benchmark with classleading features including a power packed battery, flash charging, a turbo-charged processor, and a 6.8 inch display to bring this to life.
“For our users, this is an unprecedented combination, giving them an unparalleled mobile experience, making the POVA series a must-have.”
POVA specifications
The new POVA series has a very longlasting configuration to provide value to users. Priced at under $200, it comes in two models with abundant high-speed memory of 128 + 6 GB and 64 + 4GB respectively. Both have the revolutionary Helio G80 Gaming Processor and host a 6000 mAh Super Big Battery, with an 18W Dual IC Flash Charger that offers the ability to play music continuously for 12 hours after a 10-minute charge and 6.5 days after a full charge. It would have been unthinkable that such advanced technology would be included in a mobile phone in this price range even two years ago.
Such a long battery life is particularly important in the many African countries where access to electricity at home is often difficult. Solar kiosks and the growing use of low-cost residential solar kits are improving the situation but a longer battery life is crucial for many African consumers. The company regards its long standby time and high performance as its unique selling points.
Award-winning company
TECNO is a premium smartphone brand that markets mid-high end smartphones in Africa and other global emerging markets, providing users with a range of products, including Phantom as its flagship model, and CAMON, a high-end camera phone that has won numerous awards. TECNO is one of the top three mobile phone brands in Africa and a major global player in the smartphone market with a presence in around 60 emerging markets. It has also been the global Official Partner of Manchester City Football Club since 2016.
TECNO initially built its business on the African market and has more recently extended it to other global emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. It won the AITTA Phone of the Year 2019 award; was ranked among the Top 3 Most Admired Brands by category in Africa in
the Brand Africa 100 annual survey; and achieved a Guinness World Record for “largest flip book” this April.
It also won the Look In Person (LIP) competition at Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) 2020, a prestigious conference in the field of computer vision and pattern recognition. LIP focuses on the detailed semantic understanding of the human body, which is one of the key topics in the field of computer vision.
TECNO’s first place was based on its algorithms and applied technologies in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) for image enhancement. Such specific innovation should help TECNO build on its established position in Africa as AI becomes more important and more developed, being used in ever more ways in mobile technology and beyond.
Social and economic benefits
Much has rightly been made of the social and economic benefits of improved access to mobile telecoms in Africa. It has enabled the mobile banking boom that has seen online banking come to dominate the African retail banking scene and became even more important when Covid-19 lockdowns saw physical bank branches closed down. Smartphones also allow business people and farmers to access the latest market and supplier prices, encouraging everything from sharing tractors to cross-border trade.
They also encourage the dissemination of health and education information, helping school pupils, students and the general population while making it easier for governments to inform their ever-growing populations.
One of TECNO’s big strengths is the fact it started business in Africa and focuses continuously on global emerging markets.
Key customers
Promoting POVA to consumers as “the most valuable smartphone under $200”, TECNO is targeting the new range at small business owners, middle ranking businesspeople and white collar workers, as well as gamers who demand ever improved specs.
Its typical customer will be a rational consumer who knows the value of mobile phones and how to bargain for them. They will choose the most cost-effective product that is related to their own needs, making a comparison of different products before selecting one.POVA, which stands for “Powering Optimal Value and Ambitions”, replaces the previous POUVOIR series. It has large storage capacity, a high performance processor and a long battery life.
The company is launching the new range simultaneously in Africa, the Middle East,Southeast Asia and South Asia, and it is marketing the new range across the entire African continent. Although the size and wealth of each national market varies considerably, there is a significant and growing middle class with the financial resources and interest in acquiring a smartphone in every market.
“TECNO is committed to giving the masses access to the latest technology at accessible prices, allowing consumers to reach beyond their current limitations,” comments the company spokesperson. “TECNO understands the needs of consumers from different markets and provides them with localised innovations across a product portfolio featuring smartphones, tablets and feature phones.”
This is where TECNO’s history in – and focus on – Africa is key. Its knowledge of every market on the continent allows it to provide packages and technology tailored to the needs of each country. ■