Now that Samsung, Huawei, LG, and Apple have outed their flagships smartphones in South Africa, what will each set you back? We dive in!
Samsung, LG, Huawei, and Apple have each thrown down the guantlet for 2017’s first quarter with premium flagship phones that’ll tempt the purse strings of gadget connosuiers; but, as each flagship makes landfall in South Africa, what prices can we expect to fork out for a slice of the future?
While price sensitivity remains the key to prosperity in the South African mobile market, early 2017 has revealed a slew of radical, advanced flagship smartphones that have broken the mould from prior releases. Accordingly, we can expect to see pricey handsets dominate the premium arena.
Without further ado, let’s work through four recent arrivals and explore not only what they offer, but further how much they’ll set back South African consumers at launch.
Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+: Price, features, and availability
Read: Hands-on Preview: This is the Samsung Galaxy S8
Samsung launched its new Galaxy S8 and S8+ handsets in South Africa alongside its international reveal, and we were there for a hands-on experience with the Galaxy S8.
Both the Galaxy S8 and S8+ bring with them a radical Infinity Display, 12-megapixel dual pixel cameras, as well as an AI assistant called Bixby.
Consumers can expect to pay R15499 ZAR for the standard Galaxy S8, and R17499 ZAR for the larger Galaxy S8+. Pre-orders are now available, and the handset is expected to land on our shores on the 5th of May.
LG G6: Price, features, and availability
Read: LG’s G6 roars to life with an all-metal and glass build, FullVision display
LG, of course, is not to be outdone; and its latest flagship, the LG G6, brings with it features comparable to Samsung’s latest flagship.
The LG G6 packs in a 13-megapixel dual-camera array (one lens handles telephoto duties, while the other is a wide-angle lens), a unique 18:9 FullVision display. The G6 is set to delight fans of LG, as it debuts a metal and glass form factor without modular accessories in tow.
The LG G6 is slated to hit the South African market on the 7th of April, and will set consumers back the reccomended retail price of R14,629 ZAR.
Huawei P10: Price, features, and availability
Read: Huawei’s P10 and P10 Plus break cover with new Leica optics
Huawei has yet to debut its latest flagship in South Africa, though we have received confirmation that the device will make landfall at as yet unspecified date past April.
The Huawei P10 brings with it a Leica-made dual-lens camera setup, wherein one 20-megapixel unit handles colour, and a 12-megapixel unit captures monochrome detail. Sporting a tweaked design language from last year’s P9, the P10 arrives in two flavours; the standard unit, and the larger P10 Plus.
The Huawei P10 is expected to sell for the reccomended retail price of R12,999 ZAR, while the larger Huawei P10 Plus will sell for the reccomended retail price of R13,999 ZAR.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: Price, features, and availability
Read: The iPhone 7 is out in – here are every major network’s contract deals
Apple’s iPhone 7 duo is the oldest entrant on this list, having been released last year in September. While the handset will likely be replaced by a premium anniversary iPhone later this year, Apple recently updated its product offering with the debut of a (PRODUCT) RED iPhone 7.
While the Samsung Galaxy S8, LG G6, and Huawei P10 all run Android, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus run on Apple’s proprietary mobile operating system, iOS. While the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus benefit from Force Touch, a customisable Home button and a unibody design, the larger 7 Plus benefits from a dual-camera array.
At launch, the iPhone 7 retailed for R12,999 (32GB), R14,999 (128GB) and R16,999 (256GB), while the larger iPhone 7 Plus retailed for R15,499 ZAR (32GB), R17,499 ZAR (128GB), and R19,499 ZAR (256GB).
The standard 128GB (PRODUCT) RED iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will retail for R13,499 ZAR and R15,999 ZAR, while the 256GB models will sell for R15,499 ZAR and R17,999 ZAR respectively.
Have your say!
What are your thoughts? Which flagship smartphone on this list would you be most willing to splurge on? Be sure to let us know your opinion in the comments below, and listen in to Bandwidth Blog On Air, where we dive in with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
