Huawei launches high end smartphone into Kenyan market

NAIROBI -- Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei, on Wednesday launched the Mate 10 Lite model into the Kenyan market as the battle for smartphone space in the country intensifies.

The launch of Mate 10 Lite in the East African country took place just a few weeks after the manufacturer unveiled the Mate 10 device in Nairobi in partnership with a local dealer.

"Following the launch of Mate 10 series into the market, we have received positive feedback on our devices and are delighted to announce today that we now have Mate 10 Lite which will retail at 399 U.S. dollars," Huawei Mobile Kenya Country Director, Derrick Duh stated.

"For this reason, we will therefore provide a solution for everyone who would love to have our latest Mate Series," Duh said.

The high penetration and growth rate of smartphones in the Kenyan market has accelerated primarily due to the country's strong economic climate and increasing internet and mobile connectivity.

According to a study by a local e-commerce company, Jumia, out of the 3.1 million devices sold in Kenya in 2015, over 1.8 million devices were smartphones which represented 58 percent of the units sold.

Duh said the phone's design spells out fashion and features eye-catching sleek body with curved edges that are favorable with fashion trendsetters.

The gadget features a 3340 mAh battery that lasts over two days, with up to 20 hours talk time and nine hours of video watching.

The device is also equipped with a powerful camera that entails two dual-camera modules, one on the rear with a 16 MP and 2 MP sensor set-up, and a selfie snapper with a 13 MP main camera and a secondary 2 MP sensor.