We’ve known for a while that Chinese device maker Vivo has all eyes set on the Kenyan smartphone market. The company officially went local with the Vivo Y15 that started selling last week priced at Kshs 21,999.
The phone is pretty handsome for this price, but being a new player in the market, Vivo is going to struggle in this segment. We’ve all come to agree that in Kenya, the sub-Kshs 20,000 category is the sweet spot and this is where Vivo should be targeting first.
True to this, the company seems to be lining up an entry-level device in Vivo Y90. Unveiled in July 2019, the phone should slot in below the Y15, offering users a myriad of cool specs and features for their money.
Vivo Kenya hasn’t confirmed the imminent arrival of the Y90, but the Communications Authority (CA) has already approved a Vivo device with model number 1908. This, in case you didn’t know, is the model number for the Vivo Y90.
It’s a decent-looking entry-level phone, but it lacks a fingerprint scanner, has underwhelming cameras on paper, and for some reason, it runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, which could be deal-breakers around here.
Here are the rest of the Vivo Y90 specs:
- 6.22-inch HD+ (720×1520 pixels) display
- MediaTek Helio A22 (MT6761) SoC
- 2GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage
- 8MP main camera
- 5MP front camera
- 4030mAh battery
- Android 8.1 Oreo with Funtouch OS 4.5
- Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, microUSB, 3.5mm audio jack, dual-SIM, 4G LTE, Face Access, etc.
Accompanying the Vivo Y90 will be the Vivo Y17. We already knew about the Y17 and in fact, we at some point thought it would launch alongside the Y15, but it didn’t. Now that it has also been cleared for launch in the country as model number 1902, we do expect it to come in at some point, sooner or later.
FYI, the already launched Vivo Y15 goes by the model number 1901, which sums up a total of three new Vivo devices that recently stopped by the CA for approval.
You can check out the specs of the Vivo Y15 and Y17 here and here, respectively.
As for when exactly the Y90 and Y17 will begin selling in Kenya, we can’t say much. The story is true when it comes to pricing details, but as noted, the duo should sit either side of the Y15’s asking price.
