HomeTechnology China phones, new attraction for Nigerian consumers
China phones, new attraction for Nigerian consumers
Written by Emeka Ekechukwu & Chinwe Ubah
Wednesday, 01 October 2008
IT is nolonger news that Nigeria still depends wholesomely on imports to meet its high appetite for telephone, but what appears worrisome is the new growing trend of China-imports taking a large chunk of the market space.
The country was recently classified the biggest telecom market in Africa, with mobile subscription exceeding 45 million at the end of August this year and market penetration still below 40 per cent making it still one of the most lucrative markets for any operator to depend upon.
A recent survey carried out by Vanguard in the Lagos metropolis showed a growing migration to these Made in China phones several of them seem to be replicas of major European brands like Nokia, Sonny Ericsson and Motorola. The attraction to these phones appear to be classified in two categories of pricing and flexibility. Cost of an average high end phone starts from the region of N50,000.
The China phones on the other hand come with features Nigerians desperately need, especially at social function where they display them to catch the fancy of loved ones. Another factor is the frequent theft of mobile phones in the notorious Lagos traffic jams. So for these Nigerians, why spend so much money on a phone only to be stolen at gun point?
The China phones also come with addition features like analogue TV reception which Nigerians now depend upon while on the traffic jams on the way home from their work places. Their battery lifespan appear also to be an attraction. The phones generally do not have brand names, or sometimes, names like Nokla is embossed to make them have semblance to Nokia.
Mrs. Chika Emmanuel, a business woman in the popular Oshodi market in Lagos said she deals in different models of phones in the Chinese imports. According her, the China phones prices range from N3,000 to N4,000 with features such as radio, MP3 and ear-piece. A drawback of the China phones she noted, is the scarcity of parts and accessories.
Miss Shasha Oguntala, a worker with ZOOMmobile, a CDMA operator, complained of the battery lifespan. She noted that the batteries in the phone do not last long and also their fragile nature. “When it falls to the ground, that’s the end of it”.
Mr. Emeka Udeji, a mobile phone engineer calls the China imports ‘stubborn’ especially the boards. He complains too of their parts being too expensive and discourages users of these phones from coming for repairs. He blames importers of these phones for bringing in substandard phones, while also claiming that they are help the poor to afford phones.
Mrs. Rejoice Okoli, a phone dealer however, noted that not all phones made in China are either imitations or fake. According to her, “Nokia manufactures phones in different parts of the world including Hungary, Finland and China too.” She claims the China phones come in two categories: the “original and the imitation. The original has warranty while the imitation has no warranty.They also develop battery problems most of the time”. She noted that “consumers who request for China phones know what they want”.
Mr. Ikechukwu Anyiam a dealer in mobile phones and accessories said almost all phones are now produced in China. He also stated that Nokia phones made in China come with warranty seal from a company known as E-cell. “The cost difference between the China phones and their European imports is more than 50%,” said Anyiam.
Several respondents, including consumers noted that they buy the phones for their cost effectiveness and other features like games. The aesthetic beauty of the phones, is also another reason some respondents gave for their continued patronage of the these phones.
Write Comment
Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article.
Personal verbal attacks will be deleted.
Please don't use comments to plug your web site. Such material will be removed.
Just ensure to *Refresh* your browser for a new security code to be displayed prior to clicking on the 'Send' button.
Keep in mind that the above process only applies if you simply entered the wrong security code.
Copy This Idea and Start Making N650,000+ monthly beginning from today!
This simple business has made me N650,00+
in one month by learning where to find unique
information and making it available to
particular groups of people.
Easy,Simple, Quick Setup.
Completely legitimate.No scam!
Get report for FREE Here!
FxPro.com - Trade Forex Like a Pro
Flexible leverage up to 1:500
Low spreads from 1.8 pips www.FxPro.com
MyNaijaNews
Naija entertainment, lifestyle, sports, music reviews, fashion, technology, mobile phone reviews, books, classified ads, greeting cards, etc....It's your content. go get it......
Comments (1)
