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Cape Town - Despite only being announced just days ago, the latest smartphones are likely to be available to South Africans long before the local official release.
Orange announced on its website that the devices launched at the Mobile World Congress gadget show in Barcelona will soon be ready for order for South Africans.
The company is already advertising the HTC One (M9) at R9 495. Samsung's flagship Galaxy S6 and Edge as well as Microsoft's new Lumia 640 XL will also be available on the platform.
While most of these new devices will likely be launched in SA by June 2015, Orange has a tradition of moving fast to range smartphones that are not yet available for the local market.
Devices like the YotaPhone with two screens and Google's Nexus 6 are available on the online platform to South Africans, though operators in the country have been reluctant or slow to offer these devices.
Dual SIM
Orange has also been aggressive in offering dual SIM mobiles.
Dual SIM technology allows users to switch between networks to exploit special deals or to facilitate coverage, and though popular elsewhere in Africa have not made much of an impact in SA.
Manufacturers like Acer, Hisense, Huawei, Sony, Samsung and others have actively marketed dual SIM phones on the continent, but have been reticent to make the devices available locally.
The new Galaxy S6, right, and S6 Edge are displayed during a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2015 event on the eve of the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona. (Manu Fernandez, AP)
Sony recently announced that a dual SIM version of its waterproof Xperia M4 would be sold in SA, though it remains to be seen whether mobile operators will distribute the device.
Orange offers free delivery with most of its smartphone shipments and for the latest devices, the company promised that it would pass on any saving negotiated with manufacturers to consumers.
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