Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold7, Flip7, and Flip7R, raises bar for smartphones - ITREALMS

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Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has unveiled the latest in Galaxy series, namely the Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, and Galaxy Z Flip7R, reports ITREALMS.
 

These devices seamlessly blend precision engineering and powerful intelligence, elevating everyday interactions in the thinnest and lightest design to date.

OPPO says 'Reno8 T series best mid-range smartphones in Nigeria' - ITREALMS

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The global technology brand, OPPO, has once again outdone itself with the stunning Reno8 T series launched in Nigeria in March. For starters, the smartphones became an instant hit, with its pre-orders selling out in days and achieving a record industry feat, while receiving many positive reviews from Tech enthusiasts and recording high demand from customers trooping into retail outlets to purchase after the Pre-order period. 

Consisting of 2 brilliant models – the 5G and 4G versions, the Reno8 T series have become game-changers in the mid-range smartphone market. 

Foldable smartphones: Pre-order portal opens for Samsung’s Nigerian customers - ITREALMS

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A portal has been opened for pre-orders of the latest in shelf from Samsung in Nigeria, especially the foldable smartphones namely Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4, reports ITREALMS.

Confirming this in on Wednesday in Lagos, the Managing Director, Samsung Nigeria, Mr. Charlie Lee, said customers can pre-order any of the devices.

Airtel offers six-month ‘Double Data’ on Infinix, Tecno, iTel smartphones - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has announced a strategic partnership with Original Equipment Manufacturers, Infinix, TECNO and itel smartphones brand, reports ITREALMS.

Under the new partnership, customers who purchase a new Infinix, TECNO or itel smartphone will enjoy the exclusive Airtel ‘Double Data Offer’ for a six-month period.

                                                                                           

The Airtel ‘Double Data Offer’ allows customers to enjoy twice the value of any data plan they purchase on their newly acquired smartphones.

For instance, if a customer buys the One-thousand-naira monthly data plan on any of the aforementioned newly acquired smartphones, he/she gets 3GB instead of 1.5GB of data.

To enjoy the offer, which is available to both new and existing Airtel customers, consumers are required to send the key word, “GET” to SMS short code 141. Upon sending the SMS, a confirmation is sent to the customer for the ‘Double Data’ six months offer.

Commenting on the new partnership, Ag Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, said the new offer will help deepen data penetration in line with Airtel’s positioning as the mobile Internet operator of first choice for telecoms consumers in Nigeria.

“This partnership will empower more Nigerians to fulfill their personal and professional endeavors and also help connect more telecoms consumers to their dreams. Airtel is committed to delivering innovative and affordable mobile Internet value propositions that will make life richer, better and more meaningful for Nigerians,” he said.

Also commenting on the partnership, General Manager, Transsion Holdings, Nigeria, Eason Duan, reiterated the Group’s promise in delivering the best-in-class mobile experience to every Nigerian: “A smart and connected world today is possible when everyone has access to mobile devices and good connectivity. With our goal of ensuring every Nigerian owns a smartphone, we are confident that Our partnership with telecoms giant Airtel will be beneficial for all our consumers as they continue to stay connected with whatever they love to do, for longer.”

ITREALMS gathered that after the six month offer period, customers can thereafter subscribe to their desired data plans and enjoy the double data benefit. The bonus and regular data have same validity.

The offer applies to smartphones never seen before on the Airtel network as at July 30^th, 2018.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Nokia unveils 4 Android smartphones, reloads Nokia 8110 for 4G

ITREALMS:

The acclaimed home of Nokia phones, HMD Global, has unveiled four new additions to its award-winning portfolio of Android smartphones, reports ITRealms.

The latest entrants include Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, new Nokia 6 and Nokia 1. ITRealms gathered that in efforts at delivering all the craftsmanship expected from a Nokia phone, each new smartphone offers durability and reliability as standard, with the range setting new benchmarks in materials and design.

The chief executive officer of HMD Global, Florian Seiche, noted that in furtherance to earlier promise to pure, smart, secure and up-to-date Android experience, HMD Global unveiled the first global partnership to have a full suite of devices selected into the Android One programme by Google.

“The unwavering commitment to deliver a pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience has ensured Nokia smartphones become the natural fit for the global programme,” Seiche said.

Adding to range of stunning new Android smartphones, the iconic Nokia 8110, Seiche said, has been reloaded to deliver 4G connectivity, apps including Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Search, Facebook and Twitter, and the return of the slider phone.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and the new Nokia 6 – join the Android One family, offering a high quality software experience designed by Google. Each phone will stay fresh over time with the latest AI powered innovations to the highest grade of security from Google. With a pure Android installation, Nokia smartphones come with no unnecessary UI changes or hidden processes that would eat up battery life or slow them down so you can enjoy your new phone for longer. Each of the new phones comes with a limited number of pre-installed apps so that you’ll get more storage space, as well as the latest innovations that help you stay ahead of the game every day.

By shipping with Android Oreo out of the box, users will be able to enjoy the latest features, including Picture-in-Picture for multitasking, Android Instant Apps to discover and run apps with minimal friction, 60 fantastic new emojis and battery-maximising features like limiting background app use.

According to Florian Seiche, CEO HMD Global, “This time last year, we started our journey with huge expectations from fans and a massive responsibility to deliver on the legacy of one of the most innovative brands in our space. Since then we have reintroduced well-loved icons, forged partnerships with friends - old and new, and delivered our pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience across our smartphone portfolio. Last year we shipped over 70 million Nokia phones.”

Noting further that HMD Global remains committed to delivering great phones that will offer value to the customers, Mr. Seiche said “As we’ve expanded our portfolio we’ve always maintained one vision: to deliver great Nokia phones that live up to the values our fans expect. It has been an exhilarating time and as we look ahead, we plan to build on our success by expanding our portfolio and giving consumers a wide range of Nokia phones they can love, trust and rely on.”

HMD Global prides itself in making smartphones that address real-world needs, with commitment to pure, secure and up-to-date Android as a core strategy.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Pix: Nokia 8 Sirroco

Wiko smartphones enter Nigeria

ITRealms:

Wiko, a leading smartphone vendor in France has concluded arrangements to enter the Nigerian market with its smartphones before the end of September, reports ITRealms.

Disclosing this at the 2014 IFA otherwise known as the Consumer Electronics Show in Berlin recently, ITRealms gathered that this means Wiko is determined to expand at the global level.

Speaking at Wiko’s IFA pavilion, the International Business Development Director, WikoGlobal, Mr. David Garcia, said the month of September would see launches in Poland, Nigeria and Kenya. 

He also revealed that Wiko made its debut in the Gulf region, the United Arab Emirates within same period and would be followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in mid-October 2014. 

ITRealms recalled that Wiko was welcomed into the Vietnam in August to herald the brand grand entry into South-East Asia.

Mr. Gracia also notes that consumers in new markets are aware of Wiko’s strong brand and product proposition, even as Wiko has built strong relationships with its channel partners in every market, ensuring wide distribution and excellent customer care.

According to him, Wiko distinguished itself as France’s second largest selling smartphone after just three years, and driving Wiko’s success story across Europe is its compelling proposition based on smart French design, the latest Android KitKat 4.4 operating system and exceptional pricing.

“IFA is a great opportunity for Wiko to demonstrate our complete 3G and 4G smartphone line up. Tech lovers will have the chance to discover the Wiko’s innovative products that have made us successful in Europe so far,” he told correspondent at IFA.

On Wiko’s success story, Mr. Garcia pointed out that they deliver style and quality at the best price.

“We are excited about entering our new markets like Nigeria, Kenya, Poland, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and are confident of repeating our success story in these markets. We take pride in that Wiko is now setting a new direction for the smartphone market,” he asserted.

ITRealms recollects that Wiko Mobile has seen a phenomenon growth in France after its launch in 2011.

In 2013 alone, Wiko boasts of 2 million smartphones in the country in France, hence accounting for 8 per cent of the market based on GfK research figures.

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Lenovo Vibe X, six other smartphones debut in Nigeria

ITRealms:

A total of seven brand of Lenovo, Tuesday in Lagos, debut into the Nigeria’s mobile market at a ceremony held in Sheraton with Vibe X model leading the pack of smartphones, reports ITRealms.

Stressing that the seven smartphone including its flagship Vibe X, will be available in first week of March 2014 and available at all major retailers nationwide.

Nigerian consumers, he said would be the first in the African content to get their hands on seven models, with each Lenovo smartphone designed with specific customer needs in mind, maintaining that Lenovo offers a range of carefully considered design innovations and functionality that fits every style, personality and need. 

For the Director of Operations, Middle East and Africa, Mr. Shashank Sharma told ITRealms that Lenovo smartphones the range includes entry-level devices, such as the A369i, A516, A680, and A859; the stylish models like S650 and S930; and the picture perfect and sleek Vibe X.

“All Lenovo smartphones will come with a one year local warranty,” he said.

Further speaking, Braum told ITRealms that Lenovo’s entry to the Nigerian smartphone market, has prospects, especially with over 120 million mobile subscribers, thus Nigeria represents a strategic market for Lenovo’s smartphone business.

“Smartphones are fast becoming a primary platform for work, entertainment and social networking for consumers and we are thrilled to announce the launch of our exciting line-up today in Nigeria. Innovation is in Lenovo’s DNA; our team strives to deliver ground-breaking devices with distinct, elegant design. Today’s launch marks the first time customers in Nigeria can purchase Lenovo smartphones locally and we are excited to see the market’s reaction,” Braum said.

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Pix: Dr. Phil Osagie of JSP, Mr. Braum, Ms Monique and Mr. Sharma of Lenovo.

Samsung overtakes Nokia in handset sales, as anxiety greets Galaxy S III

Galaxy S III smartphone

The latest report from Strategy Analytics has pronounced Samsung leader in handset marketing, just as Galaxy Note sales soars into profit with high expectation on Galaxy S III smartphone.

Part of the report made available to ITRealms Online by MobileWorld, showed that strong smartphone sales led to record operating profit at Samsung for the first quarter (Q1) as the South Korean company exceeds Nokia’s record of world’s largest handsets vendor.

Noteworthy is that Samsung could not break out device sales figures as at the time of filing this report, but Strategy Analytics estimated that the firm shipped 93.5 million units in Q1 2012.

This gives Samsung a 25.4 per cent share of the global market ahead of the 82.7 million units reported by Nokia (22.5 per cent) and Apple’s 35.1 million iPhones (9.5 per cent).

It was also gathered that this was the first time Nokia is being overtaken from the number-one spot in the past 14 years.

Further, Samsung’s operating profit reportedly reached an all-time high of KWR5.85 trillion, representing a 98 per cent increase year-on-year. While the revenues rose 22 per cent to KWR45.27 trillion, even as the net profit almost doubled to KWR5.5 trillion.

ITRealms Online investigations revealed that Samsung’s IT & Mobile Communications unit accounted for over 70 per cent of operating profit (KWR4.27 trillion) and over half of sales (KWR23.22 trillion), offsetting weaknesses in some of Samsung’s other divisions.

The electronic device company while reacting to this development noted in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online that growth in shipments of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Note and Galaxy S II and other premium mobile devices yielded high returns, with significant growth in China, Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa.
 

The firm also confirmed it would unveil the next Galaxy device at an event in London by Thursday, May 3, expected to be the long-awaited Galaxy S III smartphone.
 

Tom Kang, director at Strategy Analytics, emphasized that they expected Apple to grow further in the second quarter of the year, but the upcoming launch of Samsung’s new Galaxy S III flagship model could slow iPhone’s growth in some regions if it is well received by operators and consumers.

Remmy Nweke

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