Samsung Galaxy S4's African launch
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 hit the shops in South Africa at the weekend following an official product launch at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
Hailed as the smartest smart-phone on the market it has an array of futuristic features including the world’s first Full HD Super Amoled display a five-inch scratch-resistant screen, 2,600 mAh battery, a 13-megapixel-rear camera and a two megapixel front camera.
The dual camera facility means it can take photos in a sequence while it also enables the user to erase unwanted images such as a person accidentally appearing in the photo.
Robert Ngeru, Chief Operations Officer for Samsung Electronics, East and Central Africa, said: “It’s a smart companion as it has all the relevant features that are required on a cellphone, be it on health, be it on training and on education, be it on email and office work. So it covers all aspects of everyday life.”
The gadget has already made its debut in other leading cities around the world including London, Sydney, Hong Kong and New York.
The launch also follows hot on the heels of Samsung’s quarterly earnings report which revealed the company has shipped about 70 million smartphones so far this year, a 60.7 percent increase from the year-on-year.
Its first quarter profits rose 42 percent to $6.4 billion and sales were up 17 percent to $47.6 billion. Samsung accounted for 32.7 percent of smartphone sales during the quarter while its main competitor Apple owned 17.3 percent.
In response to the huge demand for mobile phones in Africa, Samsung has already established 330 service centres across Africa to service the Galaxy S4 as it comes with a 24-month warranty that covers without any charge any problems experienced during the guarantee period.
George Ferreira, the Vice-President and chief Operations Officer for Samsung Electronics Africa told the hundred or so attendees at the convention centre launch that the warranty was “with no questions asked, and which is a world-first.”
Among the countries hosting the service centres are: Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Mauritius, Ghana, Uganda, Senegal, Cote d’Ivorie, Sudan, Angola, Tanzania, Botswana and Mozambique.
