If you are on the market looking for a new smartphone, you may be spoilt for choice and not sure what to get. Below I have five devices that will most probably be launched during the first quarter of 2016 (Q1). These are the devices you should be saving up for if you are looking for the most recent hardware and spec combination.
Infinix Zero 3
Infinix is planning to launch its first smartphone of the year, the Infinix Zero 3, sometime this month. This smartphone was announced at the end of last year (2015) but has not been available to consumers yet. I expect to see this phone before the end of this month. This is meant to be the premium device from the company that has re-shaped the low end smartphone segment.
Some of the features the Infinix Zero 3 comes with include a 5.5 inch display with a Full HD resolution and a pixel density of 401 ppi. It is powered by a 2.2GHz octa core processor with 3GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of storage space.
For the camera, Infinix has really amazed me. The Zero 3 comes with a 20.7MP rear camera with dual LED flash and a 5MP one in front. The main camera is made by Sony so you know it’s good.
I will have another post listing all the features of the Infinix Zero 3 so watch out for that.
Microsoft Lumia 550
Lumia 550
The Microsoft Lumia 550 is the latest affordable smartphone from the company. This phone was officially announced back in October and went on sale in a few markets as from last month. The phone is available in India and I expect Kenya to be next.
Read More: The Microsoft Lumia 550 Will Go On Sale in India This Week, Is Kenya Next?
The Lumia 550 is the first entry level smartphone from Microsoft to come with Windows 10 Mobile. It has a 4.7 inch display with a 720p resolution. This phone is powered by a 1.1 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage space.
Microsoft Lumia 950/950 XL
Both these phones were launched on the same day when the Lumia 550 was launched. They are the first premium devices to come with Windows 10 Mobile and the first premium Windows smartphone launched within the last 12 months. Both the Lumia 950 and 950XL are available in Nigeria so I expect to see them in Kenya in the next few weeks.
Lumia 950 XL
As for specs, the Lumia 950 has a 5.2-inch OLED display and is powered by a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor. It has a 20MP camera with triple LED flash at the back with a 5MP camera at the front. This phone supports USB Type-C connectivity.
On the other hand, the Lumia 950XL has a 5.7 inch Quad HD AMOLED display, is powered by a 2.0 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space. As for the camera, it has a 20MP PureView Camera with triple-LED flash at the back and a 5MP selfie camera.
The Samsung Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 AND Galaxy A7 (2016)
These are the 2016 versions of the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7. I have combined them together as they were announced at the same time and I expect them to be launched in Kenya at the same time. Since they were first announced in December (2015), I expect to see them in the country probably by February this year. Depending on what Samsung has planned, these devices may be launched anytime from today and latest by March. These three are the latest mid-range devices from Samsung and they will definitely be interesting to see how they are received in the market.
If you need more specs and information about these devices, click the link below.
Read More: Samsung Announces Three Mid-Range Devices, the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2016)
Out of these four main ones, I also expect to see the Huawei Mate 8 in Kenya and probably the Huawei G7 Plus. The G7 Plus was unveiled last November while the Mate 8 will be unveiled at CES 2015 so they will most likely make their way into the country anytime from today. I will also be expecting to see the Xiaomi Mi4. This is one of the two Xiaomi devices that was to officially go on sale in Kenya, the other one is the Xiaomi Redmi 2 which is already available in the country.
Keep it here to be informed when each of the devices listed above is launched in Kenya.
As a power user I can’t stand small phones, that includes the Galaxy S7,S6 and the like. Bare specs won’t blow me if the phone does not meet my heavy web&media consumption needs. The Mate 8 is a solid bet but the price is ridiculous. Am anticipating the 6′ inch Galaxy A9 with newer Snapdragon 625 SoC&4000mAh battery. I expected to see this on your list!
We will include the A9 Pro once it’s announced and is headed here. But quick question, isn’t being a power user more about the specs than the size? I would rather have a 5 inch super powerful smartphone that a 6 inch one that doesn’t get anything done.
Interesting, I guess we all have different preferences and we’ll never fit in the same basket. However I was talking about the Galaxy A9 not the A9 Pro which is stripped down version of the A9. The A9 is no slouch in performance and the battery is sturdy for the road and 6” inch is just right for heavy web and media consumption needs.
Well, that makes sense. But it is important to note that the A9 Pro may not be available in this market, you can probably get the A9