by MTHULISI SIBANDA
Africa Editor
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – CROSSCALL, the French outdoor mobile technology firm, aims to expand its footprint in Africa.
The French company is currently present in South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia.
“We are having discussions to be present in ten more countries in the next six months,” Anthony do Couto, Crosscall Global Sales Director, said in response to an enquiry by CAJ News Africa.
On Thursday, Crosscall launched its Core series in South Africa, where it aims for a 10 percent market share of the rugged smartphone sector.
It unveiled the Core-M4, Core-M4 GO and Core-X4 smartphones as well as the CORE-T4 tablet for the local market.
Crosscall also announced an industry-first three-year warranty on all its devices in South Africa.
According to company executives, the rugged phone market represents 1 percent of the total smartphone sector in the country, totaling around 150 000 units per year.
“We expect this market to increase every year with a strong request from customers for tough, waterproof and long-lasting products,” he said.
“We are targeting 10 percent of the rugged smartphone market share in South Africa during those 12 months, especially with the Core range,” he added.
A rugged smartphone is completely sealed within a thick housing to protect it against damage from, among other things, water, shock, dust, and vibration. There are three general types of rugged phones, namely outdoor sports, military and stylish.
Crosscall disclosed the industry-first three-year warranty on its devices in South Africa, was based on results of testing by an independent laboratory in France.
These tests, according to the manufacturer, indicated that the life expectancy of the products was 36 months.
It is anticipated the three-year warranty would be revolutionary in the telecommunications space as well as industries such as mining and manufacturing, where the need for durable and reliable devices are seen as a necessity.
Julien Furiot, Director for Crosscall Africa, said the company was able to offer this warranty as a result of ten years of research and development (R&D) works.
“The durability of our products has guided the R&D strategy through four promises: resistance, waterproofness, autonomy, and more extensive testing than normal,” Furiot said.
“Furthermore, with durable smartphones, there is less obvious breakage meaning companies no longer have to renew or replace their mobile fleet so regularly and this means lower total cost of ownership over the long term.”
The Core-T4is hailed as the first tablet on the market to be certified Android Enterprise Recommended by Google. An 8-inch screen, Qualcomm 450 processor, 3/32 GB memory gadget, it comes at a recommended retail price of 10 999.
Equipped with a 48MP photo/video sensor, using Fusion 4 technology, the X4is priced at R9 499.
With its Qualcomm 215 processor and 2/16GB of memory, the M4 runs on Android 9.
It has a recommended retail price of 6 699 and will be available from August.
The M4 GO will retail at a recommended price of 5 399.
The mobile phones and tablet will be available via Vodacom and MTN channels. Retail pricing is subject to changes in the dollar-rand exchange rate.
– CAJ News