Yes, you’ve got every reason to wonder why we’re even here talking about 5G while the service isn’t available in Kenya right now. But as most of us would like to say, if you’re investing in a smartphone for the next two or three years, its always a wise idea to future proof your investment. 5G’s launch in the country is inevitable, just a matter of time especially after some credible rumors doing rounds on Safaricom’s intention to adopt the technology after it was said to be testing in a few areas within Nairobi.
And sure, someone would easily suggest buying overseas from several online retailers like AliExpress, Amazon or eBay. But the complexity in network frequencies is not something we’d like to dive in, especially since there’s basically very thin lines as to what is supported and what is not, however in most cases, handsets that are officially sold locally support available network frequencies. For this main reason, I’m a bit skeptical to advise someone to buy a phone online from an overseas vendor just for a specific spec such as 5G compatibility.
The world we currently live in dictates us to look forward no matter what, and for this main reason, why not just get a 5G device when you really need a phone for the next year or so rather than waiting and probably ending up spending twice for the same reason. Sure, most of us might have heard some conspiracy theories doing rounds on social media linking 5G technology to the current situation, well this is far from truth 5G is safe and certainly the future.
I have done some digging myself and compiled a list of “affordable” phones you can buy locally that support 5G. By affordable I mean reasonably priced compared to current flagships from Apple and Samsung. But before we start listing, its prudent that I elaborate 5G technology is hardware based and nothing you can do in software to enable it if there’s no hardware support.
Now let’s get to it. These phones have been confirmed to be available in Kenya from various outlets including online stores.
5G phones available in Kenya (Price may differ from one vendor to another)
- Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite (5G): priced at Ksh43, 999
- Nokia 8.3 (5G): Priced at Ksh68,000
- Xiaomi Mi 10 (5G): Priced at Ksh74,999 (expected)
We shall be updating this list as we get more confirmations from vendors.