4G LTE smartphones
Smartphones that take advantage of the 4G LTE rollout by the major telecom companies are also considerably more expensive. The reason behind this is that it costs a bit more to equip the devices with the appropriate hardware that supports 4G. Samsung, arguably the biggest phone manufacturer the world over, also holds the record for the most 4G devices. Following closely behind is Huawei, HTC and Sony among the big brands on our list. We have thrown in lesser-known Chinese brands in the developed world, but nonetheless heavy hitters in India, the Middle East and Africa. This list is far from definitive, given that new phones are released every day. However, this should be a good place to start.
Brands covered
iPhone Samsung Huawei Tecno Infinix HTC Nokia Sony BlackBerry Xiaomi ZTE Microsoft LG Alcatel iTel
Smartphone Penetration in Africa
According to market intelligence company, NewZoo, of the top 50 countries in the world in terms of smartphone penetration, South Africa comes top. With a population of 55 million, South Africa has 36.2% smartphone penetration as of 2017. The North African trio of Morocco, Algeria and Egypt follow closely behind. Nigeria is the last African representative in the top 50, with 14.8% penetration. By comparison, India has 22.4% smartphone penetration. The world leader, United Arab Emirates has a whopping 80.6% penetration. What number among these is smartphones in Africa are 4G remains to be seen. However, we are not complaining. Baby steps.
