Home Blog Page 172

LG Optimus L5 E612/E610 Features, Specs and Price Review

Tuvuti Editorial Team
-
3
LG Optimus L5 E612/E610 Features, Specs and Price Review

LG E512 is not the type of phone you’d give up everything for, but of course not everything on it is crap; it has a whooping 4inch display screen which’s bigger than close rivals, most of which are 0.5inches lesser. The phone definitely has some class, but painful compromises were made on areas that count, I assume to keep prices under; it has the worst resolution (320x480p to be precise) you’d get on a phone with a display panel that large, so don’t expect a pleasant experience scrolling through your photo gallery or reading small text. Photos won’t look as brilliant as they would on pricier devices and blurry small text will occasionally piss you off. I remember back in time when the first droids ideos and galaxy mini were unveiled in Kenya, everything looked awesome until we had a closer look and did a one on one comparison with then killer device galaxy s, the differences were clear as dark and night; the screen sizes were not a factor, but the technology underneath and their resolution is what defined a cool smart phone.

It’s rare to get a budget handset with a 4.0inch screen, but that’s quantity and I would rather go for quality in this case a decent resolution. LG Optimus L5 E612’s display unfortunately doesn’t score well on quality, but it’s cheap and that’s a reasonable consolation. A glimpse at the mid-range genre quickly reveals close rivals such as Galaxy Ace, it has the same screen resolution you’d say, but a 0.5inch lesser screen works on its advantage. Pixel density is higher on Galaxy Ace 165ppi compared to L5’s 144ppi; which essentially means, Ace renders sharper text than L5 and you don’t have to scroll longer while accessing web pages. On the other hand, LG Optimus L5 E612’s Ice Cream Sandwich OS is pretty impressive considering it’s only a few months old even though Jelly Bean is here already. The front panel is almost entirely taken by the 4inch panel except for the physical button below and LG’s logo at its top, the design isn’t sophisticated, it looks very cheap with square corners that are typical to L series. The back cover is slightly curved on edges, effectively eliminating the square design notion.

There’s a 5.0Megapixel camera around the back panel, it’s not the best we’ve seen but I’ll give it here, especially for a phone in its category. Sitting below is an LED flash, the kind you’ll find on handful devices in the same category, and far below is a loud speaker which’s not unusual. It’s a decent camera, better than those found on cheaper devices; you can actually get great shots with it, in fact, there are a couple of features such as Panorama, Landscape, Geo-Tagging, Portrait, Sports, Night, Sunset  that go with it.

LG Optimus L5 E612/E610 Features/Specifications;

  • Operating System: Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Processor: 800 MHz Cortex-A5 Processor
  • Display : 4.0inch (320 x 480p) (144ppi) Capacitive touch screen, 16m colors
  • Camera: Pri: 5.0Megapixel (2560 x 1920p), Auto-focus, LED flash
  • Storage: Up to 32GB MicroSD, 4GB ROM / 512MB RAM
  • Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
  • Internet: 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 802.11b/g/n WiFi/WiFi hotspot
  • Other ft: FM Radio, GPS, A-GPS
  • Battery: Standard Lithium ion 1500mAh

LG Optimus L5 E612/E610Price in Kenya: Kshs.14999 at Safaricom Plus 200mb data

Tecno N3 Android Smart Phone

Tuvuti Editorial Team
-
9
Tecno N3 Android Smart Phone

You’d be mistaken to think I have any preference for Tecno products, it’s not a household name like South Korean rivals and its association with China products doesn’t help either; personally, I haven’t touched any of their products and I may not have to, but the relentless efforts they’ve put in, might just as well turn my weird perception the other way round, I reckon. By launching Tecno N3, an android powered handset, I’d honestly acknowledge Tecno almost had my full attention; I am an android veteran you’d say, but that doesn’t imply I like every device that has it installed. Techno N3 doesn’t look classy like pricier devices, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely crap; it’s a dual-sim handset, something you’d unsuccessfully long for on those killer devices like Galaxy S3. It’s not only in headlines as their first droid phone, but the first Qualcomm reference design smart phone I n Africa, thanks to the partnership between these two firms.

 Qualcomm reference design essentially aids device makers get 3G smart phone devices developed faster saving for research, development, product engineering and architecture costs. For a price of Kshs.8000 here in Kenya, I can easily list more than a dozen cool devices within the same price range I’d choose instead of Tecno N3; however, almost all of them don’t support two networks, so I’ll give it here. Last time I checked, Orange San Francisco was retailing at the same price, but the phone is a monster in comparison except for dual-sim feature. Techno N3 supports 2 sim cards, but you’d only connect to 3G on one and 2G on the other, it doesn’t make that much difference but I’d prefer all sim cards connect via 3G. Beyond its dual-sim capability, I’d say a 3.5inch display screen was well thought, most devices within the price range have smaller display panels such as a 2.8inch found on ideos. In theory, the phones internal memory is capped at 512mb, we all know you’ll get lesser, but you can expand up to 32GB with a MicroSD card though there’s an 8GB memory card already included.   

Techno N3 is a dual-sim device but that’s the least of my excitement, there’s lots of cheaper dual-sim handsets in Kenyan stores now, it runs on Google’s android software with minimal pre-loaded apps so you’d easily choose your preferred ones from Google play instead without having to uninstall unwanted apps first. Android is by far the fastest growing mobile OS , N3 has v2.3.5 Gingerbread installed which’s unfortunately not the latest release but it’s a good start if you ask me, there are rumors of several android based devices coming out of Techno such as N5 and N7.  

Tecno N3 Features/Specifications

  • Operating System: Android v2.3.5 Gingerbread
  • Processor: 1GHz Snapdragon S1 Processor
  • Display : 3.5inch (320x480p) TFT capacitive touch screen
  • Primary Camera: 3.0Megapixels primary camera
  • Storage: Up to 32GB MicroSD, 512MB internal storage
  • Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v3.0, WiFi, WiFi hotspot
  • Internet: 3G, 2G, HSDPA
  • Other features: Dual-SIM, Palm chat
  • Battery: Standard Lithium ion 1400mAh

Tecno N3Price in Kenya: Kshs.8000.

Mshwari Mobile Banking Service from Safaricom and CBA

Tuvuti Editorial Team
-
30
Mshwari Mobile Banking Service from Safaricom and CBA

Mpesa has been a great success story, at least if you live in Kenya; however, at some point we’ve been pessimistic on how the service could be broadened further to match current banking services from financial institutions like banks. What I mean is, why would someone even think of putting cash on a mobile phone while the same could reward his pocket with additional interest from banks. Both Safaricom and Commercial Bank of Africa have promised us this capability via a new mobile banking service dubbed Mshwari, the service is however hooked to Mpesa in various ways that non Mpesa subscribers won’t benefit from it. Users can save as little as Ksh.1 to a savings account accessible via the Mpesa menu and earn an interest at a standard rate depending on the total amount inside the account. Beyond the savings benefit, you’d now easily access a micro-credit service right on your phone without involving any collateral.

Now instead of filling those detailed bank documents and providing collateral to secure a loan, M-shwari is completely paperless and customers don’t have to wait longer as loans are given instantly via an Mpesa account. It’ll be immature to measure the success of M-shwari for at least several coming months starting from the launch date, as a handful of Mpesa users have the least knowledge of it, but it’s a good start considering we now have a reason to let our savings stay on a phone or borrow at a reasonable interest. To start using Mshwari, you’ll need to update your current Mpesa menu by selecting ‘Mpesa’ item, then ‘My account’ followed by ‘Update menu’ and lastly entering ‘Pin’,  you’ll receive the updated Mpesa Menu after a while. After the Mshwari item appears alongside other Mpesa menus, you may opt in by selecting M-shwari and accepting the terms. It’s however not as easy as it looks to qualify, you must have had an active Mpesa account for at least 6months, furthermore, you need to save often on Mshwari while regularly using other Safaricom services such as data and Mpesa.
From outside, Mshwari looks like a killer deal; however, something you should note, 7.5% interest rate on loan repayment is actually monthly not yearly as most of us had anticipated. If you ask me, it’s a total rip-off compared to what banks are charging right now, I’d rather get a bank loan at 16%p.a interest rate than 7.5%p.m translating to more than 100%p.a, and it’s the plain truth. It has the convenience most of us are looking for, but it comes at a price you’d rather avoid if you ask me.
How to Request for a Loan from Mshwari
  • On your Mpesa menu, navigate to ‘Mshwari’ menu and select ‘LOAN’
  • Choose ‘Request Loan’ and enter the amount followed by your Mpesa Pin
  • You’ll receive a confirmation message immediately followed by either successful or unsuccessful request.
How to check how much you can borrow
  • Dial *234*6#, you’ll need to accept the terms after which a detailed report of how much you can borrow plus if you’re eligible will be sent on your handset.
How to save and withdraw from the M-shwari account
  • On your Mpesa Menu, go to Mshwari
  • Select ‘Send to bank’ to deposit and enter your Mpesa Pin
  • You’ll receive confirmation message detailing the amount, date and balance
  • Loan repayment interest is 7.5%p.m
  • Competitive interest rates are calculated daily and paid quarterly on savings
  • There are no charges on moving funds between Mpesa and M-shwari accounts

Nokia Lumia 510 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

Tuvuti Editorial Team
-
1
Nokia Lumia 510 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

The lumia line-up might be several months old, but windows phone veterans have had to ship them from overseas at least until now, Lumia 510 is now here with us, finally the long wait is over after it was officially unleashed in the local market. The phone looks dirty cheap compared to its immediate siblings, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely crap; it has a 4.0inch display screen with a decent resolution, so small text look sharp and a glance at your photo gallery doesn’t disappoint either. Nokia smart phones tent to be pricier especially for the developing nations, but at an almost rock-bottom price tag of Ksh.16500 in Kenya, Tsh.355000 in Tanzania and Ushs.600000 in Uganda, Nokia Asha 510 stands a better chance of topping the mid-range line-up here in Kenya where consumers have long considered the brand trustable owing to a great hardware reputation.

Continue

Linda Jamii, Affordable Healthcare Insurance

Tuvuti Editorial Team
-
35
Linda Jamii, Affordable Healthcare Insurance

Press Release: Tuesday November 27, 2012… Leading integrated communications provider Safaricom Limited has partnered with leading insurer Britam, Changamka Microhealth – one of Kenya’s pioneering mobile Health Financing technology providers and PSI, a leading global health organization to launch Linda Jamii, an innovative and affordable healthcare insurance option. Targeted at more than 35 million uninsured Kenyans, the Kshs.12, 000 per Family premium cover will provide clients with access to a comprehensive medical cover comprising in and out patient cover, maternity cover and a hospitalization income replacement benefit of Kshs.500 per day, to take care of lost income while in hospital. The premiums are payable in installments via MPESA, with quality healthcare  being available after accumulating  Kshs. 6,000 and  the balance being saved in a premium deposit facility on the user’s mobile phone.

Continue

Nokia Asha 205 Specs, Features and Price Review

Tuvuti Editorial Team
-
0
Nokia Asha 205 Specs, Features and Price Review

Every time two or more Ashas are unleashed, we get to choose between a Qwerty and numeric keypad or Single and Dual SIM capability; in this case, Nokia Asha 205 has a fascinating Qwerty keypad contrary to its twin sibling 206. Besides an impressive smart phone level typing pad, you’ll get the benefit of dual sim capability on this phone, but that doesn’t mean it has exclusive bragging rights in a fast growing segment. It doesn’t have much underneath, but you’d easily reckon a premium design comparable to high-end devices in days of yore. For a device costing less than $70, a harsh scrutiny of included features is entirely uncalled for; it’s unlikely to put a smile on smart phone lovers but that doesn’t mean it’s the worst we’ve seen. If you’re torn between two mobile operators, into Qwerty keypads, financially limited and don’t mind using Nokia’s aged series 40 OS, Asha 205 could be the type of handset you’d love having around.

 Nokia Asha 205 will not impress Android users or let alone convince blackberry, windows phone or iOS fanatics, but for Symbian 40 veterans and cheapskates out there, it’s a deal in the making. Beyond the usual Qwerty keys, there’s a dedicated facebook key on the left side of navigation button before the left selection and call button, it’s pretty convincing if you’re into facebook and wouldn’t mind a standard alphabet arrangement that would guarantee fast text input whether chatting or just updating your profile. On the right side of navigation button before the right selection and end call key, there’s a dedicated email key, so you can easily access your inbox with just a single tap. The front panel is equally divided between a 2.4inch display screen and a Qwerty keypad, I wouldn’t say 167ppi (pixels per inch) resolution is worse for a phone with an almost rock-bottom price tag but expect small text to look blurry compared to pricier handsets

On the backside is a VGA camera which’s smaller to that of its twin sibling Asha 206, you’d rather factor in the price of a digital camera as photos captured on this device aren’t any better; in fact, a larger percentage of handsets costing around that price have better snappers some even with an additional secondary camera for video calling. 64mb internal storage is barely enough to hold a couple of mp4 files; however, you can expand using an external MicroSD card up to 32GB. And like its twin sibling, you’ll have a choice of Cyan, Magenta, Orange, Pink or White depending on your preference or just buy separate covers for each color. There are a few apps such as facebook that come preloaded; however, you can download more from Nokia’s Ovi store which’s accessible within the handsets menu. It doesn’t have WLAN or 3G, so expect web pages to load sluggishly, but again, it’s cheap, that should answer most of our questions.
Nokia Asha 205 Features/Specifications;
  • Operating System: Symbian 40 software
  • Display : 2.4inch (240x320p) (167ppi), TFT, 256k colors
  • Primary Camera: VGA (640×480 pixels)
  • Storage: Up to 32GB MicroSD, 64MB internal storage
  • Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR
  • Internet: GPRS, EDGE, Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Adobe Flash Lite
  • Other features: Dual-SIM, FM Radio with RDS, FM recording
  • Battery: Standard Lithium ion 1020mAh
Nokia Asha 205Price in Kenya: Kshs.6000.

Nokia 206 Features and Price Review

Tuvuti Editorial Team
-
2
Nokia 206 Features and Price Review

The 206 is a dual-sim device, we’ve seen lots of them and none so far commands the segment when everything is analyzed. Nokia 206 is safely pinned at the budget end genre, expected to be available in Kenya for a measly Ksh.6000; it excels in dual-sim capability but fails to call shots in areas deemed important. At an almost rock-bottom price tag while supporting two networks, it’ll be interesting to see how this phone fares on in a segment most manufacturers are keen not to miss out. It runs on Nokia’s long preferred symbian software but a couple of smart phone goodies such as facebook and messaging notifications are on board. Unlike its siblings, the 206 doesn’t have a QWERTY keypad, which makes its design look very cheap in comparison, instead, there’s an alphanumeric key-pad below the screen with big-enough rounded-corner keys that’ll do just as good; in fact, keys here are spaciously placed eliminating common typo errors.

Continue

LG ELECTRONICS & HOTPOINT APPLIANCES (E&C AFRICA)

Tuvuti Editorial Team
-
2
LG ELECTRONICS & HOTPOINT APPLIANCES (E&C AFRICA)

Media Release: LG ELECTRONICS & HOTPOINT APPLIANCES TO LEVERAGE ON NEW PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IN GROWING MARKET SHARE Nairobi, November 23rd 2012

Leading consumer electronics manufacturer LG Electronics is betting on energy efficient, aesthetically pleasing and innovative new products, with support of a strong distribution network, to grow its market share in the coming year.
The company which has been on an innovation trajectory has announced a raft of measures aimed at maintaining its market dominance while at the same time driving the environment sustainability agenda.
Speaking during the end of year LG dealers convention, LG Electronics Managing Director Mr. Josep Kim said over the past year, the company had embarked on customer service enhancement drive aimed at ensuring that customers enjoy the best experience of its products.

“2012 has been a challenging year but with our dealers support we have managed to face the challenges positively. We began the year by enhancing our service offering with the opening of the LG Customer

Care Centre, which complements the three existing Hotpoint service centers. On this front, we have also has boosted the mobile after sales service commonly referred as Care & Delight bus,” said Mr. Kim.
Mr. Kim added that the initiatives were geared towards cementing LG’s position in the Kenyan market and reiterated that the company will continue rolling out more products that address the changing preferences in this dynamic industry.
During the convention, LG also unveiled four new products that the company hopes will strengthen our position in the Kenyan market and the region at large. The products are 84” Ultra Definition 3D LED TV; 3D Sound Blu Ray Home Theatre; Linear Compressor Side by Side Refrigerator and the 6 Motion Washing Machine.
“These are products whose performance has been tested the world over and which will meet and surpass customer expectations. We are betting on these products to drive our business agenda in the course of the New Year,” said Mr. Kim.
Hotpoint Appliances Managing Director Mr. Shailesh Kanani said the partnership between the two companies had grown over the years. Continuous efforts are made to provide Kenyans with the latest products, available countrywide with unparalleled backup service to ensure ultimate consumer satisfaction. Kanani thanked all the partners for their invaluable support which has enabled this growth and superior brand presence over the years.
“Through our partnership, Kenyans and other residents of the region have been assured of conveniently accessing genuine LG Electronics products where warranty is assured at our widely spread distribution network,” said Mr. Kanani.
Mr. Kim decried challenges associated with land-lockedness which he termed as a major hindrance to the logistics of delivering products in most countries. The East African region is currently only served by two ports.
He also mentioned the escalating counterfeit menace as another key challenge to the company’s business in the region.
“We are however taking precautionary measures to ensure that our products are tamper proof and the technology used is beyond the creativity of counterfeiters. LG Electronics will also continue partnering with government agencies charged with eliminating counterfeits to ensure that battle is won,” said Kim.
1...171172173...203Page 172 of 203

© 2025 tuvuti.com | Email: [email protected]