We are a few days from the end of the third quarter of the year and yet, as you may have observed from our coverage, there has been one brand that has been missing since the year started: realme.
The brand, which entered the Kenyan market over a year ago offering smartphones and accessories such as wireless earbuds, has been silent since the turn of 2021.
Not anymore.
A statement shared with us yesterday from a local brand representative intimates that realme is keen on a strong comeback to the local market after a few months hiatus with the realme GT Master edition next month.
While we will obviously have to wait till October to see if this happens, those keen to get something new from realme can checkout the C21Y smartphone the brand has just released to the Kenyan market.
The realme C21Y packs a 6.5-inch HD+ “mini drop” display with an 88.7% screen-to-body ratio, a triple-camera arrangement headlined by a 13-megapixel primary sensory, a 5-megapixel selfie shooter, a 5,000mAh battery that allows users with compatible accessories and devices to use it to reverse charge them via its microUSB port and is powered by Android 11 under the hood of the realme UI.
“The C21Y features three card slots, a dual SIM slot and a dedicated SD card slot expandable up to 256GB, it has 2 colors: Cross Blue and Cross Black, it is easy to hold, resists fingerprints, and effectively resists scratches and scrapes,” the statement from realme Kenya continues.
According to realme, the realme C21Y is “the world’s first smartphone with TÜV Rheinland High Reliability Certification”.
If you’re wondering what that means, here’s an explanation from the folks over at Yugatech:
“TÜV stands for Technischer Überwachungsverein in German, or Technical Inspection Association, in English. These are a group of independent service companies from Germany and Austria that test, inspect, and certify technical systems, facilities, and objects of all kinds to minimize hazards and prevent damages.”
“The TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High-Reliability Certification process encompasses 23 major tests, including 10 daily use test scenarios, such as drop, wear, and tear; seven extreme environment test scenarios, including super extreme temperature, extreme humidity, voltage fluctuation, button life, static electricity, air pressure; and six component reliability test scenarios.”
The realme C21Y is priced between Kshs 12,500 and Kshs 13,700 for the various memory (3 or 4GB) and storage (32GB) configurations available. It can purchased at shops across the country as well as on various e-commerce platforms.