Unpopular opinion: the smart feature phone market is currently the most exciting segment in South Africa.
Gasp! How can I possibly say that when other phones fold, unlock by looking at them, or change colour in sunlight? Well, easily. All some people need is a device on which to access the internet, run WhatsApp and listen to music.
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The MTN Smart S and Vodacom Vibe 4G take two completely different routes to accomplish this, while remaining well under R300.
Vodacom’s newly launched challenger packs 4G connectivity, 4GB(!) of RAM, microSD card support up to 128GB, and nifty VoLTE and VoWiFi support.
The MTN Smart S employs KaiOS 2.5, which boasts a wide range of supported apps, features a dual SIM slot, and isn’t network locked. It also has a larger battery than its rival, but can only surf 3G networks.
Swings and roundabouts, we guess.
So which device should you purchase?
Before you make that critical decision, we’ve put together a specifications comparison table that should go a long way to helping you make a decision.
Either way, the South African smart feature phone market has never been this competitive.
Feature image: composite, MTN Smart S and Vodacom Vibe 4G
