Telecom Lead Africa: Microsoft will team up with Huawei to sell low-cost Windows smartphone in Africa.
The phone, called Huawei 4Afrika Windows Phone, will cost $150 and initially be sold in seven countries.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone software is fourth among smartphone operating systems, with just 2 percent of the worldwide market in September, according to Canalys.
Microsoft is also closely working with Nokia.
Fernando de Sousa, general manager, Microsoft Africa, said Microsoft and Nokia will introduce two new Windows phones for the African market, New York Times reported.
Africa is the world’s fastest-growing region for smartphones, with an average sales growth of 43 percent a year since 2000, according to the GSM Association.
In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 10 percent of the 445 million cellphone users have smartphones, but that is expected to increase rapidly as operators expand high-speed networks.
By 2017, most consumers in South Africa will be using smartphones, up from 20 percent last year, according to the GSM Association. In Nigeria, smartphone penetration projected to reach 30 percent by 2017.
The phone, which will run the Windows Phone 8 operating system, will be sold with applications designed for African consumers.
By targeting Africa, Microsoft is trying to build on momentum it recently gained through its partnership with Nokia. The company sold 4.4 million Lumia Windows smartphones in the fourth quarter of last year, up from 2.9 million the previous quarter.
By 2016, Canalys expects Windows to overtake BlackBerry to become the No. 3 operating system, with a 15 percent share, compared with 5 percent for BlackBerry.
Samsung recently expanded the less expensive range of Galaxy smartphones to market in Africa and other emerging markets.
