Africa’s leading mobile phone maker, TECNO Mobile, unveiled its latest smartphone, the Camon CX, at an event which took place in Nairobi last Friday. The phone, which is designed specifically for young, independent smartphone users, plans to be the “Selfie Camera” of choice for Africa’s young people.
Ever since TECNO launched in Africa in 2006, the company has sold more than 45 million mobile phones across the continent. It sold 9 million smartphones in Africa last year alone. The Camon series which was introduced in 2015 has sold more than 5 million handsets globally.
I recently interviewed Stephen Ha, General Manager of TECNO Mobile and where he talked about the Camon CX smartphone and TECNO’s ambitions for Africa.
TECNO was launched across Africa only in 2006, and you’ve done pretty well. You’ve sold more than 25 million mobile phones since then. What’s your recipe for success?
I think the most important thing for us is that we listen to our customers and what their requirements are. When we entered this African market initially, our strategy was to come in with hip, low-cost mobile devices that could solve communication problems across the continent. But we also paid attention to the suggestions from our customers on how we could improve our products. We figured out that if we could give them all the additional features they required in their mobile phones, we could actually have their loyalty over the long term. For example, in West African countries – particularly in Nigeria, most people want a mobile phone that has a longer battery life because of the inherent power supply issues, so when we developed subsequent devices, we made sure that they had longer-lasting batteries. But then you look at markets in East Africa – especially Kenya, and you realize that people don’t exactly have this problem because there is frequent power. But the feedback we got from our customers in Kenya and elsewhere in the region was that they wanted phones with better picture quality, and so we worked on that. So we listen to the market, understand their requirements and give the right solutions. That’s what we’ve done with the Camon CX, and that’s why we’ve become the leading mobile phone brand in Africa.
Tell me about the Camon CX, and why we should bother buying it.
The Camon CX is the ultimate Selfie phone. The smartphone uses a smart image sensor composed of 16 mega pixel sensors in the front camera, coupled with unique ‘4 in 1’ technology. Each pixel sensor detects light, captures individual images and converts the information into signals before forming the final image, resulting in selfies that are 30 per cent brighter, capturing special moments perfectly. The ‘4 in 1’ technology also pairs effective denoising technology, obtaining a signal-to-noise (SNR) 1.7 times better, with the newest Smart Denoise technology to produce amazingly clear images even in low light. The dual-front flash feature goes further, and allows Camon CX users to take amazing quality selfies in dark environments where previous artificial light would blur and distort images. The smartphone also includes features such as a customized ring flash, light speed charge and a 5.5 inch FHD (Full High Definition) screen, all allowing for ease of use on the go as well as the best quality images.
Last year TECNO announced plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Nigeria. Are you still on track?
Definitely. As you already know, we have an assembling plant in Ethiopia. We are looking to build a manufacturing facility in Nigeria and this is very important to us. The project has stalled at the moment because of ongoing discussions with government bodies and their stakeholders, but we are well on course. We have already bought a very large expanse of land for the project, and when it begins to take shape, you’ll definitely know. We’ve done a lot of business in Nigeria particularly, and it’s only fitting that we establish a plant there.
So much has been said about Africa’s mobile revolution. In your opinion, is this revolution fuelling economic development in any way?
I believe it is fueling development. I think we can all agree that Africans have generally become more productive as a result of access to mobile telephony. Mobile telephony has brought new possibilities to the continent. Mobile phones are now connecting individuals to individuals, information, markets, and services. In some countries, farmers are able to send a text message to learn corn and tomato prices in places over 1,000 kilometers away. Day laborers are able to call acquaintances in Benin to find out about job opportunities without making the US $40 trip.
What are TECNO’s African plans for the future?
We want to displace the Apples and Samsungs of this world and become the smartphone of choice for every African. We don’t just want to be the preferred or best; we want to also win the popular vote. So we’ll keep listening to the customers’ requirements and developing products that satisfy the customer.