Safaricom’s e-commerce platform Masoko (more about it later), which opened to the public just a week ago, has a big Black Friday sale going on starting from 9AM all the way to 6PM. In-between, at least one of the below-mentioned devices (as well as others that are not highlighted here) will be on sale for just 1 bob.
While we have so far managed to see impressive offerings like the Moto C Plus and Huawei P9 Lite for less than Kshs 13,000 and the Kshs 2,000 price drop of the Nokia 6, all that pales in comparison to the “flagship for next to nothing” sale going down today. Here are our top picks to look out for on masoko.com throughout the day:
1. Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
Many months after their release, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and its large sibling, the Galaxy S8+, are still some of the most desirable devices on the planet. They’re not in that position simply because they belong to an elite lineup of Samsung devices that are overhyped and overpriced. No, it’s because they’re feature-packed and build on some of the standout features of their predecessors like last year’s Galaxy S7 Edge and the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7.
2. Nokia 8
It is the most beautiful smartphone ever made by HMD Global, the global (sigh) licensees of the iconic Nokia brand. It packs lots of features that make its regular pricing seem like a joke since the competition asks for more while offering pretty much the same package of features or less. Most importantly, it’s assured of receiving at least the next two major versions of Android, starting with Oreo, which it shipped without, much to the dismay of many of us, but which is currently under public testing. We have said so much about the Nokia 8 already and we won’t bore you with any more details about the device. Read about it here and here.
Since Safaricom, which is the one selling the Nokia 8 on its own platform, Masoko, has been selling the device since day 1, it has recently made what it offers for the Kshs 60,000 price (we talked about it on 24bit…) even more attractive: by bundling the iconic Nokia 3310. Even with this Black Friday deal, the lucky shopper who manages to get it will also be getting that 3310.
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
I get it, tablets are not the most popular mode of mobile computing on the planet right now. As if that is not enough the high pricing of some of these things, like Samsung’s Tab S series of tablets, can be pretty disturbing and disheartening. I mean, who is willing to pay all that much money for something you can’t slide into the back pocket of your pants? However, that is not to mean that we are completely done with tablets. They’re still being made in their millions and they’re pretty much still on sale.
The 7-inch Galaxy Tab A is a bit on the lower side of things in terms of features, specifications and pricing when compared to other tablets worth their name in gold but even then, it can be an excellent choice for anyone looking for something simple for lite browsing, maybe reading eBooks (on that pixelated display?), consuming media content and, maybe, the occassional game or two for those who are parents or have small siblings, to keep them calm since the device is not the most well-powered slate out there.
***
Unfortunately, only one piece of each of the aforementioned devices (and others like the iPhone 7, iPhone 8 and smart TVs) is available for purchase for Kshs 1 by the lucky Masoko shopper. Such approaches have been messy for other players and it will be interesting to see how the Masoko team manages to navigate these waters.
