Johannesburg - South Africans could soon get their hands on some of the latest smartphones announced by top manufacturers locally and globally.
South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung finally lifted the veil on its A-Series, as Huawei announced its P50 series.
At the same time, Oppo is scheduled to release its flagship smartphone at the end of this month.
Samsung and Huawei made their announcements during launches on Thursday.
Samsung's live stream launch saw all the entry-level A Series stable details, including the A33 5G, A53 5G and hints on the A73 5G.
Meanwhile, Huawei attempted to pip its rival with the announcement that its flagship P50 Series, including a foldable smartphone, would be making its way to local shores.
Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturer Oppo has also sent out invitations for a launch event about its flagship smartphone, the Reno 7, first announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) earlier this year.
The congress is held in Barcelona, Spain, usually during the first quarter of each year.
It sets the tone for the new technologies expected to be released to smartphones throughout the year ahead.
Last year's event was substantially downsized due to the pandemic and also delayed, but this year's event saw the launch of scores of smartphones from local manufacturers.
Most of the smartphones and devices launched at the conference tend to make their way to other global markets throughout the year, with many found locally before the third quarter.
According to most manufacturers, smartphones launched at MWC will hit South African shelves by April 1.
Samsung A Series
As reported earlier this week, Samsung announced its Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G while alluding to the launch of the higher-priced A73 5G. The smartphones are powered by a new processor, AI camera and a two-day battery life.
The South Korean manufacturer said that the new Galaxy A series features 5G connectivity, defence-grade security, stylish and slim design and advanced connected experiences.
“Both devices support continuous One UI and Android OS upgrades and security updates2 to ensure the user mobile experience is always awesome,” Samsung said.
The company said that the Galaxy A53 5G would be available in select markets beginning April 1, and the Galaxy A33 5G and A73 5G will be available beginning April 22.
Huawei P50 Series
Meanwhile, Huawei's flagship P50 Pro and P50 Pocket Premium, the company's newest foldable smartphone, were announced on Thursday at a local event.
The P50 Pro features a Dual-Matrix Camera Design, 6.6-inch True-Chroma display and 4.360 mAh battery. The smartphone also features a 66 W HUAWEI SuperCharge5 and Dual Stereo Speakers.
Meanwhile, the clamshell-style P50 Pocket Premium foldable smartphone sports a 6.9-inch display with a 120 Hz screen refresh rate.
While using the cover screen, users will also be able to check notifications, receive calls and take quick selfies with the rear camera. The smartphone also features a 40MP+13MP+32MP triple module, rear camera and 10.7-inch selfie camera.
The Huawei smartphones are expected to arrive in the country by April 1.
Oppo Reno7
Oppo has quietly released a series of smartphones in previous months, with top rival manufacturers owning a massive market share in South Africa.
In previous years, Oppo's entry-level A series and flagship Reno series have proved to be decent smartphones with high-end features to tackle competitors.
Meanwhile, the latest Reno7 smartphone will be announced to locals on March 31, indicating sales of the new device may begin on April 1.
The Reno7 was announced during MWC and featured a 64MP+8MP+2MP triple module rear camera and a massive 32MP front facing camera.
The device also features a 6.43-inch display size and 4500mAh battery and 8GB RAM.
IOL