Locally assembled smartphones, whose factory was launched by President William Ruto in October last year, are retailing at highs of up to Sh10,559 and could rise further to Sh11,500, a new study has shown.
During the launch of their production six months ago, the devices retailed at Sh7,499 (Neon Smart) and Sh8,999 (Neon Ultra). But the study by the Centre for International Private Enterprise (Cipe) and Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) notes that taxes and a weak shilling have held their prices higher, limiting their reach to low-income earners — their ideal target.
