Vodacom has launched a 4G smart feature phone – the Vodacom Vibe 4G at R299.

The device is designed for customers who are looking at getting their hands on a smart, yet affordable device and help them connect via popular social media platforms.

Vodacom Vibe 4G smart feature phone follows the successful launch of South Africa’s first smart feature phone, the Vodacom Vibe 3G and includes a bumped up 2,8-inch display, an easy-to-navigate menu, long-battery life and a 2MP rear camera.

Vodacom has optimised this year’s version of the Vibe with 4G connectivity. This not only equates to pleasurable social media surfing and instant messaging, but also enables voice over LTE (VoLTE), which ensures calls are made even when the 2G network is unavailable. The device also has Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) capability which enables users to make calls using any WiFi network, and better sounding voice calls, using both voice and data at the same time.

“In the past six years, smartphone penetration has doubled from 30% to 60% customers migrate from 2G devices to 3G and 4G smartphones,” says Davide Tacchino, terminals managing executive at Vodacom. “To further drive this transition and help bridge the digital divide, we have now introduced South Africa’s first 4G feature phone for just R299 having launched the country’s first smart feature phone with a traditional keypad during the course of last year.

“Customers have bought over 10 million Vodacom branded devices such as the Kicka range, the Aspire and Vibe 3G, to name but a few. By launching affordable branded suite of devices, our ultimate aim is to bring down the cost to communicate and to ensure digital inclusion for all,” adds Tacchino.

Vodacom has stated that its focus is not only on selling mobile devices, it is determined to create an ecosystem, enabling its customers to access educational content through Vodacom’s e-School as well as entertainment content, through Video Play.

Vodacom Vibe 4G retails at R299 at all Vodacom stores and other participating outlets/channels. Customers purchasing this affordable device will also get 150MB of data, per month over 12 months. This will keep customers connected while at the same time experiencing the true functionality of 4G connectivity.