Africa Investment Forum: High-tech player Mara announces first African-made smartphone

[Disir]

African high-tech player Mara on Friday announced the production of their newest product, the Maraphone – the first made-in-Africa, full-scale smartphone, soon to be manufactured in plants across Africa.

“China has Huawei, Xiaomi; the U.S has iPhone and finally Africa has Maraphone,” Ashish Thakkar, founder of Mara Group told a press conference on the final day of the Africa Investment Forum, currently underway in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“This project will show the potential and ability that Africa can produce high quality and affordable smartphones in Africa, by Africans, for Africans and for the rest of the world. We are extremely grateful for the African Development Banks push in this sector which greatly encouraged our progress,” Thakkar said.

The Maraphone phone, a first-of-its-kind in the history of Africa, will produce high quality and affordable smartphones to primarily serve the population of Africa and also with the aim to export to other continents such as Europe.
Africa Investment Forum: High-tech player Mara announces first African-made smartphone

This is kind of cool.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Uhm I think I'll keep my Samsung

 

[Natural Citizen]

They probably won't ever update it, though.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Uhm I think I'll keep my Samsung

They suck at updating, too. I bought a Galaxy S5, a flagship, mind you, then two years later they stopped supporting it. A flagship phone. 2 years. That thing's still on Marshmallow. And it'll never be updated.

I said screw it and bought an iphone. The 256gb one and I always get my security updates and iOS updates.

 

[Intolerant]

Uhm I think I'll keep my Samsung

They suck at updating, too. I bought a Galaxy S5, a flagship, mind you, then two years later they stopped supporting it. A flagship phone. 2 years. That thing's still on Marshmallow. And it'll never be updated.

I said screw it and bought an iphone. The 256gb one and I always get my security updates and iOS updates.

You can side load an update for you’re Samsung. I get what you’re saying though. I use to be a avid Samsung user. The so called flagship phones had untimely updates. So I went to the dark side iPhone. I get updates pretty regularly and I’ve never looked back.

 

[Disir]

I'm pretty happy with what I have, too.

 

[fncceo]

Asian companies were making electronic components for US and Japanese electronic firms for decades before venturing out with their own products. Motorola has been making components in Penang, Malaysia since the early '70s. In China, they've had an ever-expanding technology sector since the '80s. When they entered the market under their own brand names, they had products that was the equivalent of their foreign competitors.

While I applaud Africa's introduction into the technology sector, I don't believe they have the manufacturing infrastructure to compete. Like India's efforts to break into the foreign car market, it's a matter of late to the game without a stake.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Uhm I think I'll keep my Samsung

They suck at updating, too. I bought a Galaxy S5, a flagship, mind you, then two years later they stopped supporting it. A flagship phone. 2 years. That thing's still on Marshmallow. And it'll never be updated.

I said screw it and bought an iphone. The 256gb one and I always get my security updates and iOS updates.

You can side load an update for you’re Samsung. I get what you’re saying though. I use to be a avid Samsung user. The so called flagship phones had untimely updates. So I went to the dark side iPhone. I get updates pretty regularly and I’ve never looked back.

I've never had an update issue with Samsung but it could be I buy the newest Galaxy as they are released. I'm curious to see the Galaxy X

 

[Natural Citizen]

You can side load an update for you’re Samsung. I get what you’re saying though. I use to be a avid Samsung user. The so called flagship phones had untimely updates. So I went to the dark side iPhone. I get updates pretty regularly and I’ve never looked back.

I deleted my whole Google account a week after I got the iphone. It was one of the most fulfilling decisions I've ever made. I don't need it for a darned thing and it feels great.

I never understood all of that phone stuff those guys do, though. With rooting and things like that, I'd end up bricking it. lol

 

[Intolerant]

You can side load an update for you’re Samsung. I get what you’re saying though. I use to be a avid Samsung user. The so called flagship phones had untimely updates. So I went to the dark side iPhone. I get updates pretty regularly and I’ve never looked back.

I deleted my whole Google account a week after I got the iphone. It was one of the most fulfilling decisions I've ever made. I don't need it for a darned thing and it feels great.

I never understood all of that phone stuff those guys do, though. With rooting and things like that, I'd end up bricking it. lol

Rooting is pretty easy. You can as you say brick you’re phone. iPhone can be Jail broken also. Is it worth it we’ll to some it is. Me I Just want a phone that works.

 

[Natural Citizen]

I've never had an update issue with Samsung but it could be I buy the newest Galaxy as they are released. I'm curious to see the Galaxy X

For my S5, it was a hardware issue. They stopped supporting the hardware. It wasn't capable of runing anything passed Marshmallow. Something about it's chipset being non-supported. A two year old flagship model.

But, yeah, if you're a baller like that and get a new Android phone every time the new one comes out, you'll always be good. I've never heard of the Galaxy X. I don't even read Android stuff anymore. Apple has, a iphone X model, too, actually they have like 3 or 4 X models.lol. Xes everywhere, it must be the year of the Xes. They'll probably both set you back over a thousand dollars.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

I've never had an update issue with Samsung but it could be I buy the newest Galaxy as they are released. I'm curious to see the Galaxy X

For my S5, it was a hardware issue. They stopped supporting the hardware. It wasn't capable of runing anything passed Marshmallow. Something about it's chipset being non-supported. A two year old flagship model.

But, yeah, if you're a baller like that and get a new Android phone every time the new one comes out, you'll always be good. I've never heard of the Galaxy X. I don't even read Android stuff anymore. Apple has, a iphone X model, too, actually they have like 3 or 4 X models.lol. Xes everywhere, it must be the year of the Xes. They'll probably both set you back over a thousand dollars.

It's supposedly fold able....not sure if that interests me at all

 

[Natural Citizen]

Rooting is pretty easy. You can as you say brick you’re phone. iPhone can be Jail broken also. Is it worth it we’ll to some it is. Me I Just want a phone that works.

Exactly. Same here.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Anyway. I wonder what news app the African phone has on it.

 

[Intolerant]

Remembrance of the Motorola flip phone lol. I think it will flop. Teens will buy it though. If they really want to do something innovative. Please make the freaking battery last longer.