Johannesburg - First National Bank has bolstered its smartphone line-up with the launch on Wednesday of two new devices in its own stable - the ConeXis X2 and A2.
The ConeXis range is made by Chinese telecommunications company ZTE, and was added to the bank's already-existing smart device offering of mobile phones, tablets, gaming consoles and TVs (known as FNB Connect) in 2016.
ZTE was also behind the first two self-branded FNB devices, the ConeXis A1 and X1 smartphones.
FNB’s new premium offering - the ConeXis X2 - features a 5 inch display with rear dual 13 and 2 megapixel cameras, as well as a 5 megapixel selfie camera.
The lower-end A2 features a 4.5 inch display with 5 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel selfie camera.
No credit checks are required by customers wanting to purchase the devices. The ConeXis X2 available for R199 per month with 25 anytime minutes and 100MB of data.
The A2 will be available for R69 per month with 15 anytime minutes and 50MB of data.
Dr Christoph Nieuwoudt, the CEO of FNB Consumer Segment said it had been over two years since the launch of FNB Connect and roughly a year since FNB became the first bank in Africa to launch its own branded smartphones.
"We are incredibly excited about our digital journey and ongoing commitment to empower our customers with tools to fully embrace an end-to-end digital experience,” he said.
Len Pienaar, CEO of FNB Connect said the next generation of FNB ConeXis smartphones provided a "premium experience at an affordable cost, and our competitive deals offer inclusive value for our Retail banking customers.”
FNB told Fin24 that it had sold 487 000 smart device through FNB Connect, with 75 000 of those devices being ConeXis Z1 and A1 smartphones.
FNB Connect currently has 520 000 subscribers, up from 400 000 at the same time last year.
The new FNB Connect Ultimate package, announced together with the the company's X2 and A2 smartphones on Wednesday, allows subscribers to make calls to any network for R399 with 4 000 voice minutes.