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Huawei Watch GT2 (42mm) stuns in so many ways, but is it worth Ksh. 25,000? Here is our take

Pundits have called it the smartwatch to beat in 2020, this could be somewhat truthful only when you look from certain angles. I’ve had the Huawei Watch GT2 for a couple of weeks now, there’s no doubt this is a piece of unmatched beauty, but with an underperforming economy and the stress we face with the current pandemic, should you still consider churning out a whooping Ksh. 25,000 for a wearable device you really don’t need?

Our take from the outside

From the outside, it looks amazing and this does not only mean the design, Huawei seems to be setting a new benchmark for smartwatches with it’s 2020 sequel immersing itself underneath the popularity GT series have commanded for a while. The evolution we’ve seen on the GT series is notable everywhere, we’ve moved on from the initial device which was more like a fitness tracker, GPS and some elements of a smartwatch. Fast forward to 2020, the tech giant has managed to come up with a device that’s robust, beautiful and spec-rich in various ways.

Our take from the inside

Huawei seems to be sticking with its fantastic metal construction that comes out even better than previous models. Despite some premium materials that includes plastic and stainless steel, the smartwatch doesn’t put on too much weight for you to handle at only 29grams without the strap. The dial’s thickness is just enough – not too big or small and fits perfect on most wrist sizes. Underneath is a microphone and speaker powered by a kirin A1 chip, 2GB RAM and 4GB storage with 2.2GB available free space that can be utilized for storing music.

For those who are font of water, the smartwatch is safe when submerged up to 50m and its band is gently on the wrist even while sleeping for those who would like to check their sleeping patterns. To set up, just head over to settings and if you have earbuds such as Huawei’s freebuds 3, just pair and you’ll be good to go. And depending on your usage, the updated Kirin chip ensures efficient consumption with an estimated 7days of usage

The display is just phenomenal with a 1.2inch AMOLED panel that supports both slide and touch gestures. You could control several features that consume power such as continuous heartrate tracking, sleep tracking, stress tracking as well as notifications and the always on display. But if you do sports and play music, expect an average of 3days of battery usage.

Software

The interface is a bit futuristic and differs from previous models with the top button acting as a home button and app launcher while the bottom one is programmable. Swiping left to right switches between the steps counter, music control, weather information and heartrate info while swiping down brings quick toggles.  

Our take and conclusion

If you’re looking at the Huawei Smartwatch GT2, then you either really need it for specific reasons such as sports, fitness tracking or have some spare shillings to get the latest trendiest gadgets on the market. It’s great by all means, not just a priority for everyone especially if money is an issue.

How to customize and entertain callers with Telkom’s Beat Yangu caller-tune Service

Ever wondered how some fellows manage to put those weird or somewhat amusing messages on their phone when you call them? Safaricom pioneered the service here in Kenya with its Skiza tune service which essentially allows subscribers to customize the message or tune heard by those who call them. The service is beneficiary to both the users who put interesting messages instead of the default caller tune and to content creators who charge a fee to use their content.

Telkom Kenya which used to trade as Orange for GSM services has a service that has since been renamed from “Hello Tunes” to “Beat Yangu” that allows subscribers to choose from over 3,000 songs as well as messages to put instead of the default caller tune and entertain their callers. The service can be activated by either using USSD code or via a text message.

Beat Yangu Charges

The service costs just Ksh1 for both international and local content per tune on a daily basis. Meaning as long as you use the tune, you’ll be charged Ksh1 everyday while its active. It’s available to all Telkom Kenya subscribers.

How to set a custom caller tune on Telkom network

USSD Option;

  • Dial *811#
  • From the provided menu, choose your preferred genre i.e. Kenya top 20, Gospel, Old Skool etc.
  • Then choose from available tunes
  • And proceed to confirm subscription

SMS Option;

  • Compose a new text message with the word ON
  • Send the message to 1351
  • Follow the prompts to subscribe

Tecno’s low-cost HiPods H2 wireless earbuds promises a stellar performance on a budget

While Tecno’s prowess rests within the budget tier of smartphones, the company is keen to cash in on all aspects related to accessories. The company unveiled its version of wireless wearables dubbed HiPods H2 that promises to offer a stellar performance on Bluetooth v5 and top tier specs such as water resistance but on an affordable budget. The adoption of wireless earbuds has so far gained momentum and it’s no surprise that even the likes of Tecno would want a share of the slice.

At the moment, we’re not sure yet whether Tecno’s entry in the wireless earbuds’ arena will have any major impact on top sellers; but one thing we’re certain, for Ksh. 3,000 consumers will have a hard time looking at the costly Huawei Freebuds 3 and the rest. On a global scale, Tecno is a no show, obviously because of its limited presence in select regions, therefore we don’t expect any awards on shipments, but the tech company is sure poised to compete favorably here in Kenya where over the years has gained trust among consumers.

What you get with Tecno HiPods H2

In matters design, they mimic designs we’ve seen from other manufacturers and still manages to be just as portable, lightweight and there’s no major distinguishing feature that you’d easily realize it’s a Tecno product than having a closer look. However, the manufacturer says they pack a new type of speaker that gives a good balance while offering real stereo sound effect designed for each sound frequencies.

A plus for those who already own a Tecno phone, the wireless earbuds are designed to easily connect with Tecno phones. Upon turning on the Bluetooth option, and opening the charging box, a pop-up connection interface shows up on your screen with options to click and start the connection instantly.

And just like we’ve seen various implementations, the HiPods H2 comes with a charging box that acts as its storage case as well. Once you place them inside the box, they’ll automatically start recharging ensuring they have enough power whenever you want to use them.

Under the hood, you’ll get a 43mAh battery that touted to last 4.5 hours at maximum volume and 6hours at 60 percent volume. There’s also Bluetooth V5.0 that ensures stable and smoother signal transmission.

Tecno HiPods H2 Specifications

  • Colors: Black/White
  • Sound: Real Stereo Sound Effect
  • Charging: Portable Charging Box
  • Bluetooth: V5.0
  • Protection: IPX4 Waterproof
  • Features: Environmental Noise Cancellation
  • Battery: 43mAh
  • Playing time: About 4.5 hours (maximum volume) about 6 hours (60% volume)
  • Charging time:<2 hours, current: 35mA

Price in Kenya: around Ksh. 2,900

How to share or transfer Telkom Kenya airtime to other numbers using PASHA service

Sharing your mobile phone credit with friends and family members is a feature that has since gained popularity over the years with Safaricom unveiling Sambaza while Airtel calling it Me2U. Telkom as well has a nifty feature that allows subscribers on the network to share or transfer part of their airtime to other numbers. The service which is dubbed PASHA works in a similar way as the other two mobile service providers and customers can easily access using a USSD code.

Some notable limitations though; you can only transfer airtime from a Telkom Kenya number to another Telkom number with a minimum of Ksh.10 and Maximum of Ksh. 3,500. This is expected as is the trend with the other Telco’s as well. There are times when you may urgently need airtime but in an area that’s away from shops or might just not be in a position to purchase for yourself. PASHA comes in handy in such circumstances with a simple trick to share credit.

Of course, you could do a reverse call, but what if the person you want to talk to isn’t in a position to have enough credit as well? In my opinion, you could do a reverse call to someone who can assist with airtime and proceed to make a call to the other party which makes PASHA legible for all Telkom subscribers.

How to share or transfer Telkom airtime with friends and family

  • On your phone dial *140#
  • Then enter the amount you want to transfer
  • On the next screen, enter the beneficiary’s Telkom number
  • Confirm the transaction

How to buy tokens or pay your KPLC postpaid bill using Safaricom’s Bonga Points

Safaricom made it easier for subscribers with enough bonga points to purchase various items across some outlets such as supermarkets here in the country. And from various reports, Kenyans took up the challenge in masses. According to statistics released by the telco a few months ago, Kenyans utilized the Bonga for Good initiative introduced by the mobile service provider with a report of more than 200,000 customers redeeming more than 670 million points equivalent to over KES 200 million in the first phase of the campaign.

The telco has further extended items redeemable with Bonga point with KPLC entering the fray. As of now, you can purchase KPLC tokens with bonga points or pay for your postpaid KPLC bill with the bonga points. The feature is available to all Safaricom subscribers with enough bonga points and can easily be achieved by using a USSD code.

The Bonga loyalty scheme was unveiled back in 2007 where enrolled customers accumulate a point for every KES 10 spent on services on the Safaricom network. Subscribers can redeem or transfer points by dialing *126#. Customers can redeem as little as KES 1 via Lipa na Bonga at key merchants or transfer their points to those in need.

How to buy KPLC tokens with bonga points

  • On your Safaricom phone, dial *126#
  • Choose Lipa na Bonga Points followed by Bill
  • Enter KPLC prepaid MPESA business number: 888880
  • Key in your meter account number
  • Enter the amount
  • Then confirm the number of bonga points corresponding with the amount

How to pay your postpaid KPLC Bill with bonga points

  • Dial *126# on your Safaricom number
  • Select Lipa na Bonga Points followed by Bill
  • Enter KPLC postpaid MPESA business number: 888888
  • Key in your postpaid meter account number
  • Enter the amount
  • Lastly confirm the number of bonga points corresponding with the amount

Safaricom donates Ksh 525,000 worth of airtime to kibondeni college students for e-learning

Kenya’s largest mobile service provider – Safaricom has donated more than Ksh 500,000 worth of airtime to Kibondeni students in an effort to support them access e-learning lessons from the institution. Through the Safaricom foundation, 350 students are set to receive airtime over a period of three months with additional 100 students expected to get scholarships from January 2021.

Learning institution in the country have since shut down following a government’s directive to help curb the spread of the pandemic. While students from elite schools with able guardians are able to access resources needed to enable e-learning activities, most parts of the country still can’t afford required facilities and resources such as stable internet, electricity and radios.

Safaricom foundation’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programme which is a collaboration between the telco, Zizi Afrique Foundation and ToolKit iSkills resorted to online learning in a bid to enable learners continue studying even as institutions remain shut.

Speaking on the matter, Safaricom foundation trustee Steve Chege said its part of commitment to TVET was to put in place sustainable infrastructure for youth training, and had an opportunity to use technology in enabling students continue with their training. Chege further said supporting the students with airtime would ensure they have access to learning material suited to their areas of study through online platforms.

Safaricom Foundation’s TVET programme is also set to unveil an ICT enabled Skills Center in Nairobi’s Waithaka Vocational Training Centre with an estimated 1,000 students receiving TVET scholarships over the next two years in various institutions.

Kibondeni College Principal Lynda Kasina noted that most students in the institution come from low income backgrounds, and the donation by the Safaricom Foundation will enable them to continue with their studies remotely. Lynda also added they were part of TVET programme seeking to accord 100 scholarships to students from Nairobi and Kilifi.

How to check your remaining Telkom Kenya data bundle balance on your phone

Telkom Kenya has some of the best priced data offers here in Kenya, I’ve been very font of their night time data offers whenever I don’t have access to unlimited Wi-Fi network as this basically meets my needs at rock-bottom cost. For a meager Ksh. 60, you’re able to get 700mb daytime data plus 700mb night time data that has since been revised to be active from 10:00pm to 6:00am. And if you really don’t need that much data and would rather use some voice calls instead, the telco provides an option of instead getting 700mb data and free Telkom to Telkom calls for Ksh. 50.

 You can have a look at Telkom’s night time data offers here which are activated from 10:00pm to 6:00am. With social distancing directives taking effect and most employers opting to have employees work from their homes, Telkom is surely on top when looking for a reliable, affordable data provider here in Kenya. While Safaricom might boast of enormous customer base and soon selling a fibre based solution to homes, the provider has very expensive rates in comparison.

There are a couple of ways you can check your remaining data balance on the Telkom Kenya network but will be highlighting two of the methods using a USSD code. While the mobile service provider has made it easier to purchase data bundles, and you can do so even using MPESA as illustrated here, checking your remaining data is a bit hidden with two available options for home users and regular subscribers.

How to check Telkom data balance – Home users

  • On your phone dial *544#
  • Then respond with 7 for next options
  • Select Check Data Balance
  • And tap on send
  • You can also use *100#
  • Then select Data bundles
  • Then reply with 7 for next options
  • And lastly select Check Data Balance

How to check data balance for regular subscribers

  • Dial *100#
  • Then select My account
  • And lastly My balance
  • You should receive a notification of remaining airtime as well as data bundles.

Infinix Note 7, what you need to know before buying and price in Kenya

Gone are the days when phones had to accommodate some form of bezels that would house all vitals needed to function properly like a proximity sensor, selfie camera and so on at least until the notch era premiered. But as expected with any form of tech, things tend to move really fast and you might think you are up to date until you meet someone who knocks you off with the latest and greatest. The Infinix Note 7 doesn’t have the best in the industry, but at least it packs the best in its respective niche, you might really want to look again before dismissing it altogether.

I’m not saying you go and get the device, neither I’m I putting it under the rag for lacking what some would say flagship-level tech; it’s just that when you have an eye for such a device, there are a couple of reasons that must have driven you there. To bring the point home, I’ll compare such as decision with those tedious questionnaires most of us have to fill with regards to proficiency in a certain language when applying for a job. You’d be told to choose something like novice, intermediate, advanced and superior. Deciding between advanced and superior might confuse you even more, but those who end up selecting novice or intermediate have a clear understanding on where they fall.

Design and Display

Before I divulged into the niche stuff and who the Infinix Note 7 is best suited, I talked about how we moved away from bezels to the notch era. The Note 7 goes even further with a punch-hole selfie camera, something that’s slowly rolling to the masses but was previously regarded a flagship only arena. The display panel from the outside is perfect, you’d have to power the device on and put it close to a pixel dense handset like the Redmi Note 9 series to detect flaws. Otherwise, you’d still be impressed with it’s 6.95 inches IPS panel that packs a 720 by 1640 pixels resolution. The design looks marvelous except for the material used with somewhat unique circled rear quad camera setup; we’d be haters if we didn’t mention the overall glorious design that most of us will find usable.

Performance

The internals are a feat, especially if you’re spending Ksh. 18,000 on the device. Our model which is the base model comes with 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage. This is somewhat at par with the rest of the group, but we’d have loved if the company considered more RAM as the 4GB benchmark was discarded several years ago.

If you’re on the market for a gaming phone, one that’s capable for cruising through the likes of fortnite at exceptional frame rates then unfortunately this isn’t a phone you’ll rejoice in. But for those who are curious on how long their devices should last and want the largest capacity available, the Infinix Note 7’s 5000mAh battery should be enough to pull a full day without having to hook a charger.

Conclusion;

The Infinix Note 7 just like any device out there has it’s own niche, there’s no point of hating if it misses a couple of your priorities; after all, there are a ton of us who will find solace in the handset. for Ksh. 18,000 you can get the base model here in Kenya that’ll probably oblige with your needs. But if you can’t settle for anything less, there’s plenty of alternatives that should be on your list.