Cape Town - Chinese phone maker Huawei has announced that its flagship smartphone will be available on the Vodacom network from April 1.
The Huawei Mate 7 phablet was launched in 2014 and initially only Cell C ranged the 15cm (6 inch) device.
The Mate 7 represents a new push from the Chinese electronics giant to place its devices in the mid-range as it seeks to build its brand among South Africans.
"If you look at the South African market, Huawei has invested heavily in the branding awareness especially with sponsorship," Huawei managing director for the Device Business Group Peter Hu told Fin24 recently.
The company has also initiated sponsored deals with Ajax Cape Town as Huawei drives to double its market share in the country.
Camera
The Mate 7 is powered by a nine core processor with 2GB of RAM that should see it being capable of running most popular mobile applications.
But Huawei has expended more effort with the multimedia aspects of the smartphone.
It has a multi-directional fingerprint sensor on the back to authenticate access to the device, as well as quick launch camera button as demonstrated by Sony and Nokia (now Microsoft) smartphones.
The main camera is rated at 13 megapixels and the Mate 7 records in high definition, a feature now standard on most premium smartphones.
Critically though, the dual SIM version of the Mate 7 in gold will only be available on Cell C, while the single SIM black and white devices will be offered on Vodacom contracts.
Huawei also said that the 14cm (5.5 inch) G7 will also be offered on Vodacom contracts.
The Huawei Mate 7 is available from Vodacom on a Smart S contract for R489 or cash price of R 9 299. That puts it in the range of devices such as the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and Samsung Galaxy A5.
For South Africans who prefer shopping online, the Huawei Mate 7 is available for R5 670 from the Orange online store, subject to a 13 day delivery.
Watch Peter Hu going through the features of the Mate 7 in this video:
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