MTN SA has Launched an entry level android smartphone named ‘Steppa’. The newly launched smartphone is affordable, simple and is a high performance Android smartphone for students, businesses and customers looking to take full advantage of the digital world.
Chief Sales and Distribution Officer at MTN SA, Farhad Khan said the Steppa “is the most affordable smartphone in South Africa, breaking the affordability barrier of smartphones to deliver internet access and a high performance mobile phone handset to South Africans.”
The MTN Steppa Android Smartphone runs on Android Gingerbread, single-core 1GHz CPU, powered by The Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and has a 512MB RAM, a 1GB Internal Memory which can be expanded to 32GB via Micro SD. It also features Google Play and Appsfire integration, HSDPA, Bluetooth 3.0 and A-GPS.
The MTN Steppa smartphone also comes with a 3.5 inch touch screen display 320×480 HVGA 16M TFT, Dimension of 121.4 x 63.2 x 11.8 mm and 125g weight. FM radio, a high quality 2MP (Megapixel) camera with video recording, Dual Sim, a 1,300mAh Li-on battery which is specced to last for up to 627 minutes of talk time., world-class Internet browsing on Opera Mini. It also comes with a standard free Social Networking Bundle for the first three months.
Currently, the smartphone which was launched is only available in South Africa at a price of R499 which equals $50.
The smartphone has not been introduced to other countries at the moment.
Steven Ambrose, founder of South African analysts StrategyWorx, describes the Steppa as a game changer.
“As a statement and a key tool to bring true smart devices to the market this phone from MTN is a game changer for the price,” Ambrose says.
“We expect to see more $50 and below smartphones hit the market in the coming year. MTN is also well placed to take this device into its other African markets and this will create opportunities for other markets to benefit from the smartphone revolution.”
MTN Steppa Specs Break Down:
MTN Steppa Specs
Connectivity
*.HSDPA 7.2Mbps 900/2100 Mhz
*.EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz
*.Wi-Fi 802.11 (b/g/n)
*.Bluetooth technology v 3.0
*.USB 2.0
GPS
*.A-GPS
Processor
*.Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1GHz single-core CPU
Dimension
*.121.4 x 63.2 x 11.8 mm (125g)
Display
*.3.5″ 320×480 HVGA 16M TFT
Memory
*.1GB Rom + 512MB RAM + microSD (up to 32GB)
Battery (Standard) Li-on
*.1,300mAh
*.Talk time: up to 627min(2G),
*.up to 387min(3G)
*.Standby time: up to 642Hr(2G),
*.up to 421Hr(3G)
OS
*.Android 2.3.5 (Ginger Bread)
Download applications
*.Google Play Store
*.AppsFire
MTN Exclusive Apps
*.MTN ZA
*.AVG Anti Virus [Find Phone]
*.AppsFire App store
Integrated E-mail
*.Gmail
*.MS Exchange ActiveSync
Camera
*.2.0 MP AF Camera with
*.Video recorder
MTN Wiz UI for Android
*.3 Screens
*.Home screen
*.Hybrid Widget
*.Application Draw
Video
*.QVGA@20fps / WVGA@30fps
*.Codec : MPEG4, H.263, H.264
*.Format: 3gp(mp4)
Music
*.3.5mm Ear Jack & Speaker
*.MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+
Android Browser
*.Opera Mini web browser
LBS
*.Google Maps,
*.Navigation(Beta)
Sensor
*.Accelerometer Sensor, Proximity Sensor
Additional Features
*.FM Radio (RDS)
*.MTN Zone
*.2GO IM Chat
*.Google Products
*.Social Products Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp pre-installed
*.SoundHound and Word Search pre-installed
*.Tutorial videos