Congo: Africa's first smartphone on the market

The first African smartphone designed by the Congolese "  Verone Mankou", 27 years old, is available on the Congolese market, three months after its presentation to the public, it was learned Saturday from its inventor.

"We launched the smartphone market yesterday (Friday). It is available in stores Airtel Congo and Warid Congo (two private mobile phone) with whom we have entered into a contract, " AFP Verone Mankou.

Elikia (hope, Lingala, Congo national language) "sold only in Congo, and we sell in other countries soon," he said.


Mr. Mankou had said in September, when presentation of Elikia that the smartphone will be sold in the month of October. "The delay is due to a surge in demand," he is justified, without giving further details.

The device - designed to Congo and assembled in China, "where the prices are very affordable" - costs 85,000 francs (about 130 euros), more than local minimum wage guaranteed. However, Mr. Mankou states that "it is a reasonable price."

The smartphone has a touch screen of 3.5 inches, a RAM of 512 M0 and a processor of 650 Mhz. Its internal memory is 256 M0, expandable up to 32 GB, and the camera has a capacity of 5 mega pixels.

Elikia also has a gyroscope, a GPS and geolocation application limitless connectivity by WiFi and Bluetooth.

Mr. Mankou, designer already in 2011 the first African touch-pad is responsible for the company VMK (Vumuka wake up language Kituba), specializing in mobile technologies, and has a capital of more than 380,000 euros .

VMK has paid 90,000 € needed for the design and development of Elikia.

By : AFP