First African smartphone and tablet designs are launched

By Caroline Baldwin Friday 28 December 2012 11:18


A touchpad tablet and a smartphone have been launched by the Congolese company, VMK, and claim to be the first African designs on the market.

The Way-C touchpad and Elikia smartphone, which are manufactured in China, were designed by the company’s founder, Verone Mankou, and will cost $300 (£185) and $170 (£105) respectively.

Both devices will run Google’s operating system, Android, and are marketed as “entry-level” devices for consumers.

According to the BBC, the company intends to sell the devices in its native country, Congo, as well as 10 other West African countries, however, the company will face competition from smartphone makers, RIM and Nokia, both of which are popular on the continent.

The devices will also become available in Belgium, France and India in the New Year.

VMK claims that its goal is “to give the general public access to technology at an affordable price,” with Africa at the centre of its strategies.

The company decided in 2006 to set up an inexpensive computer to “give most Africans access to technology and the internet,” this project is still on going, however, the company is aiming to launch a $50 tablet for students in the middle of 2013.

The Elikia smartphone, which means ‘hope’, features a 3.5-inch IPS screen and will include WiFi and GPS connectivity.

The Way-C tablet, which means ‘the light of the stars’, features a 7-inch 800x480 resolution touchscreen, and will run on Android’s Gingerbread system with a 1.2 GHz CPU, while providing the user with up to six hours of battery life.


Source: First smartphone and tablet designs from Africa are launched

made in china with congolese name!!! i can do that!!!

A word of advice to Congolese and Africans in general. First design better housing instead of mud huts, find a way to clean your drinking water, then move to eradicate malaria and other preventable diseases that the rest of the world have managed to eradicate. Then and only then, you move into design smartphones and tablets. Don't try to jump from stone age straight into modern world. You will just fall.

bollywood said:

A word of advice to Congolese and Africans in general. First design better housing instead of mud huts, find a way to clean your drinking water, then move to eradicate malaria and other preventable diseases that the rest of the world have managed to eradicate. Then and only then, you move into design smartphones and tablets. Don't try to jump from stone age straight into modern world. You will just fall.

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I like your advice. It is sensible.

bollywood said:

A word of advice to Congolese and Africans in general. First design better housing instead of mud huts, find a way to clean your drinking water, then move to eradicate malaria and other preventable diseases that the rest of the world have managed to eradicate. Then and only then, you move into design smartphones and tablets. Don't try to jump from stone age straight into modern world. You will just fall.

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Acha ujinga na utumie akili kabla ya kubwabwaja ujinga wenye chembe chembe za mibezo ya kibaguzi.

Wewe unafahamu hiyo kampuni ni nani anaimiliki hata kama ni a Congolese company?American Company inaweza kumilikiwa na Russians etc.

Hiyo inaweza kuwa marketing strategy tu kwasababu wanajuwa Afrika soko lake ni kubwa.Hata madini yanayotegemewa kwenye utengenezaji wa smart phones yanapatikana Congo.Panua akili ujadili kama una ubongo na si kuchangia ujinga tu.

bollywood said:

A word of advice to Congolese and Africans in general. First design better housing instead of mud huts, find a way to clean your drinking water, then move to eradicate malaria and other preventable diseases that the rest of the world have managed to eradicate. Then and only then, you move into design smartphones and tablets. Don't try to jump from stone age straight into modern world. You will just fall.

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Mkuu whilst u could be right kuhusu matatizo ya Africa, lakini nadhani premise unayotumia inaweza kuwa si sahihi. In the current globalized world where anything can be designed, manufactured and used almost everywhere haiko sawa to have the african minds locked only into a box of maji safi na salama kwanza, barabara nzuri, eradicating malaria.

Sioni tatizo kwa mwafrika kudesign say an efficient turbo charged engine na kui-market eti kwa kuwa kwao hakuna maji, safi au mwafrika kubuni na kurusha satellite kwenye orbit kwa malengo say ya kibiashara mfano an African GPS system, weather watch etc. et tu kwa kuwa mwafrika hyu huko kwao ni barabara za vumbi. Au mwafrica ku-research na kugundua dawa say ya Alzheimer eti kwa kuwa malaria bado haijawa eradicated.

It is same premise with prejudices inayotumika wakati mwingine ku-define mafanikio ya waafrica, waspaniola na Asians waliofanikiwa mtoni which is absolutely very wrong. A hard working non-african or non-hispanic when they grow rich they are smart. Hardworking Africans, Hispanics and Asians, oooh well!!! they need to fix issues in their communities first to be approved as being successful.

All in all Africa needs to be moving with the world whilst fixing the issues of backwardness kama imani za ulozi, kukosekana maji safi na salama, kukosekana miundo mbinu thabiti etc.

Nyambala said:

Mkuu whilst u could be right kuhusu matatizo ya Africa, lakini nadhani premise unayotumia inaweza kuwa si sahihi. In the current globalized world where anything can be designed, manufactured and used almost everywhere haiko sawa to have the african minds locked only into a box of maji safi na salama kwanza, barabara nzuri, eradicating malaria.

Sioni tatizo kwa mwafrika kudesign say an efficient turbo charged engine na kui-market eti kwa kuwa kwao hakuna maji, safi au mwafrika kubuni na kurusha satellite kwenye orbit kwa malengo say ya kibiashara mfano an African GPS system, weather watch etc. et tu kwa kuwa mwafrika hyu huko kwao ni barabara za vumbi. Au mwafrica ku-research na kugundua dawa say ya Alzheimer eti kwa kuwa malaria bado haijawa eradicated.

It is same premise with prejudices inayotumika wakati mwingine ku-define mafanikio ya waafrica, waspaniola na Asians waliofanikiwa mtoni which is absolutely very wrong. A hard working non-african or non-hispanic when they grow rich they are smart. Hardworking Africans, Hispanics and Asians, oooh well!!! they need to fix issues in their communities first to be approved as being successful.

All in all Africa needs to be moving with the world whilst fixing the issues of backwardness kama imani za ulozi, kukosekana maji safi na salama, kukosekana miundo mbinu thabiti etc.

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You have to learn to crawl before you can run a marathon. It takes successive steps. There has been no society in history that has been able to take shortcuts to modernity. Africa can't buck this trend in my opinion. The money you are investing in designing satellites, smartphones, etc could be used to save many lives in some African village. You have to get your priorities right in order to progress.

jmushi1 said:

Acha ujinga na utumie akili kabla ya kubwabwaja ujinga wenye chembe chembe za mibezo ya kibaguzi.

Wewe unafahamu hiyo kampuni ni nani anaimiliki hata kama ni a Congolese company?American Company inaweza kumilikiwa na Russians etc.

Hiyo inaweza kuwa marketing strategy tu kwasababu wanajuwa Afrika soko lake ni kubwa.Hata madini yanayotegemewa kwenye utengenezaji wa smart phones yanapatikana Congo.Panua akili ujadili kama una ubongo na si kuchangia ujinga tu.

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Do you have any evidence to suggest this VMK is a front company for another organization? I can only go by what the article says i.e. Congolese company designed a smartphone. If you have any evidence to suggest otherwise then present it here.

That's why we are still behind!! "makabwela" wenzetu wanataka anzisha maendeleo kidogoo!! Tunaanza ooh maralia, poverty! Angefanya mzungu yasingesemwa hayo


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bollywood said:

You have to learn to crawl before you can run a marathon. It takes successive steps. There has been no society in history that has been able to take shortcuts to modernity. Africa can't buck this trend in my opinion. The money you are investing in designing satellites, smartphones, etc could be used to save many lives in some African village. You have to get your priorities right in order to progress.

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If that is the case China would never be where they are, or somehow according to your premise not entitled to be where they are.

"The money you are investing in designing satellites, smartphones, etc could be used to save many lives in some African village. You have to get your priorities right in order to progress".

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Boy what is the role of a tax payer and a tax collector?? Just for clarification are discussing about private sector or what?

Nyambala said:

If that is the case China would never be where they are, or somehow according to your premise not entitled to be where they are.

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China is not Africa and China did not leap from the stone age to modernity. Go read the history of China and you will see that they have had a great civilization in the past. They did not become a recent success out of thin air.

Nyambala said:

Boy what is the role of a tax payer and a tax collector?? Just for clarification are discussing about private sector or what?

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My advice is applicable to either sector. So pick one.

bollywood said:

Do you have any evidence to suggest this VMK is a front company for another organization? I can only go by what the article says i.e. Congolese company designed a smartphone. If you have any evidence to suggest otherwise then present it here.

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Mankou wa Congo Brazzaville alifanya fundrising.Products are manufactured in China.
Na wewe Bollywood mnapaona ndiyo Hollywood?Wahindi kwa kuhamisha mkuu,hamjambo.Yani majina yoote,mnakuja na eti na Bollywood?teh teh teh!Tari nam suche?

bollywood said:

A word of advice to Congolese and Africans in general. First design better housing instead of mud huts, find a way to clean your drinking water, then move to eradicate malaria and other preventable diseases that the rest of the world have managed to eradicate. Then and only then, you move into design smartphones and tablets. Don't try to jump from stone age straight into modern world. You will just fall.

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A word of advice to you and your fellow bigots in general. You should learn to look deep within yourselves before judging others. Speaking of "designing better housing instead of mud huts,finding a way to clean our(Africans)drinking water, eradicating malaria and others preventable diseases" I found this kind of ideology very disturbing. Especially coming from a person like yourself;I assumed of an Indian origin.

You should remind your fellow country men, before jumping to software developing and Internet bubble. First they should find a way to clean Ganges River,since it's the source of drinking water and so forth. Second move to eradicate Polio and other preventable diseases. Third clean up your dirty slums... As the slums get crowded, the environment gets overpopulated and as a result, there is twice as much trash, corpses, and human excretion.

Dont worry about Africans jump straight to modern World...civilisation started here.
So take your wack Bollywood behind and shove it up Amitabh Bachan's cowboy boots.

bollywood said:

A word of advice to Congolese and Africans in general. First design better housing instead of mud huts, find a way to clean your drinking water, then move to eradicate malaria and other preventable diseases that the rest of the world have managed to eradicate. Then and only then, you move into design smartphones and tablets. Don't try to jump from stone age straight into modern world. You will just fall.

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Wahahahhaa!! I think you need to look at india first.
So you mean VMK was wrong to start manufacturing phones? Tell me how much do you give a poor a day? Kazi kukaa katika nyumba za NHC tu!