Orange launched its Klif digital offer at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona starting from under US$40 (€35), inclusive of a smartphone, data, voice and text bundle, for its Africa and Middle East markets.
The 3G Firefox OS smartphone is exclusive to Orange and will be available from Q2 in 13 markets in the region, including Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, Botswana, Madagascar, Mali, The Ivory Coast, Jordan, Niger, Kenya, Mauritius and Vanuatu.
Orange has doubled smartphone sales in 2014, representing a 35% slice of total handset sales and since launching its first smartphone in the region in 2013, it has sold more than a million units to date.
Orange has also experienced a burgeoning demand for data that has seen a 44% year-on-year rise in mobile data revenues in the last quarter of 2014.
“There remains a proportion of the population that so far has been underserved across the African continent, not just because of the cost of handsets, but because of concerns about data costs. By scooping up all the costs into one, incredibly priced digital offer, we hope that critical access to the mobile internet and all the opportunities that that opens up, will be within reach of many more people,” said Yves Maitre, Executive Vice President of Connected Objects and Partnerships at Orange.
The launch signals a new type of offer in the market that is typically characterised by pay-as-you-go, offering predictability of data costs through an all-inclusive tariff at a price that sets a new benchmark, Orange said. Customers seeking to upgrade from 2G feature phones to 3G smartphones can enjoy the benefits of multimedia and online usage with no hidden surprises. Depending on the market, a typical data bundle will be up to 500mb per month for six months, with the opportunity to top-up when reaching the end of the bundle.
The Orange Klif features the latest Firefox OS, ample screen size with its 3.5” HVGA screen and 2 mega pixel camera. With its 1300mAh battery offering 810 hours of standby, the smartphone also provides a reliable companion when on the move. http://orange.com/2015mwc
