OEMs, MTN Battle Fakers with Low Cost Smartphones

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and MTN Nigeria, a telecommunications giant, have scaled up the fight against counterfeit mobile phones with the launch of ranges of low cost smartphones starting at N8, 000, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek has learnt.

This is coming on the heels of plans by the federal government to clampdown on fake telephone manufacturers in the country by ordering service providers to disconnect over 12.6 million counterfeit phones.

On the side, OEMs like Samsung Electronics, Infinix Mobility, LG and Microsoft’s Nokia have all launched series of smartphones ranging from N8, 000 to N40, 000 in efforts to battle the influx of fake phones into Nigeria.

These phones have been dubbed ‘China phones’ or ‘chinco,’ a derogatory cliche to describe some of the substandard products coming from China; often purchased by consumers unaware of the substandard components used to make them.

Mr. Benjamin Jiang, managing director of Infinix Mobility, described counterfeit phones as copies of popular brands or models made from sub-standard materials and are not licensed.

“Most times, consumers are lured into buying such fake phone even when they can easily identify the original, due to the cheap prices. That is why at Infinix Mobility we decided to make our products pocket friendly.

“Before launching InifinixZERO, for instance, with the help of Konga team we conducted ‘street’ survey and the people where even calling prices above the range. With time, that phase will go from the market, especially with the availability of cheap smartphones. 

Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas, director of Information Technology and Mobile at Samsung Electronics West Africa shared Jiang’s views adding that Samsung is,  “working on several areas trying to counter fakers of phone brands. We work with many associations, usually, the recognized ones scattered around mobile markets in Nigeria. We work with them, finding ways to legitimize the business of mobile phone distribution. Secondly, our dealers have agreement with us so that they buy legitimate or authorized phone imported from our factory”

Similarly, MTN Nigeria has broken new grounds in the smartphone business in Nigeria with the launch of two new affordable android smartphones: MTN Sm@rt Mini 620 and MTN Sm@rt 720i.

According to Kola Oyeyemi, general manager, Consumer Marketing (MTN) Nigeria, the strategic focus for the launch of the smartphones which sells for as low as N, 8000, is to afford Nigerians the opportunity to own a state of the art android smartphone at the most affordable price.

Elsewhere, the federal government said it will soon order telecom companies in the country to switch-off the over 12.6 million counterfeit phones from networks by using the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.

Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has already given GSM importers in Nigeria, five months grace for them to register their products with the SON or face full weight of the law.