The glamourous, classy and sophisticated newly launched Infinix Note 7 phones were on display on Thursday May 14 as latest flagship mobile phone live on YouTube.
At the launch were top Nigerian celebrities among them was celebrity spokespersons who showed up to hype the features of the device, superstar pop musician Davido, actors like Ini Edo, Nancy Isime, dancehall artiste like Patoranking, and comedian MC Lively.
Led by the brand ambassador, Davido, the stars, who appeared in a series of expertly produced segments, matched the Infinix Note 7 to their respective creative passions and lifestyle.
On reason the device was made popular with Nigerian notable celebrities can be traceable to the fact that number of smartphone users in Nigeria, the Africa’s biggest economy and most populous country are fast growing.
A recent statistical analysis forecast showed that smartphone users in the country will grow to more than 140 million by 2025.
Currently, estimates from different sources put the number of smartphone users in Nigeria at roughly 25 and 40 million and user numbers may be tripled within the next five to six years.
Studies show that there are around 170 million mobile subscriptions in Nigeria. But currently, only around 10 to 20 percent of the population is using a smartphone.
Although, the majority of mobile users are still using feature phones which offer basic phone functions like voice calling and text messaging. Smartphone penetration is set to grow though to around 60 percent by 2025, presenting strong growth opportunities for feature phone and smartphone manufacturers alike.
At present, Samsung is the leading smartphone vendor in Nigeria though, Chinese manufacturers like Tecno, Itel (Hong Kong), and Infinix (Hong Kong) are also holding strong positions in the market.
This likely shows reason Infinix and other Chinese manufacturers are vigorously marketing their products in Nigerian markets to maximize profits. And this is the reason Infinix making use of Nigerian celebrities to make popular their products in the country.
Speaking at the launch of new Infinix product, Ini Edo said, the sleek device would be an exquisite fashion accessory. “From the dresses that I wear, to the earrings on my ear that drop on my shoulders, to the phone in my hand; they all work together to produce a very pronounced fashion statement: classy,” she said.
MC Lively, on the other hand, was taken with the high-resolution 48MP Quad AI camera, which has the capacity to take “super amazing” pictures and videos in low light situations. Even if the content idea hits at midnight, said Lively, the Infinix Note 7 could be trusted to record “crystal clear” videos.
Its camera aside, the new mid-market phone, equipped with the latest XOS 6.0 operating system on the Android 10, expectedly sports outstanding features, notably unusual in the mid-range price category.
Some of these include the 5000mAh battery, the 6.95-inch HD+ Infinity-O display, and the MediaTek Helio G70 processor that’s now with 100% GPU image rendering frequency, compared with the Note 6, the Infinix Note 7 predecessor that was released in 2019.
Other delightful bells and whistles include the side-mounted fingerprint unlock, an 18W super-fast charger, QR-code Wi-Fi sharing, dual stereo speakers, and Live Transcribe instant captions, among others.
In his keynote at the global release of the new Infinix Note 7, Benjamin Jiang, managing director of Infinix Mobility said, “The Note 7 is the device that combines Infinix’s technological innovation strength with our deep insights into our target consumers’ needs to deliver an overall enhanced experience for all types of content consumption and user scenarios.”
He added that the company was confident that “both our fans and new users will be amazed when exploring the unlimited possibilities of the new and price-friendly Note 7.”
One of such fans is international superstar Patoranking. “I can comfortably work on my music because the battery lasts long,” he said.
Two famous tech reviewers also stepped up for the new Infinix Note 7. While Nigerian tech vlogger Fisayo Fosudo broke down in detail its distinguishing benefits for gamers, creators and casual users, Canadian Lewis (Lew) Hilsenteger via his super-popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy, gave the Infinix Note 7 an excellent rating for value for money, top-of-the-line specs, and fan-favourite accessories.
“It wasn’t long ago I was messing with a $200 device and it was feeling like a $200 device, if you know what I’m saying. [Now,] not so much anymore,” Lew said in praise of the Infinix Note 7, which starts in Nigeria at a base price of N67,500.
The online live celebrity launch is a ground-breaking approach to product launches, perfected by Infinix and its parent company Transsion Holdings and suitable for the current global conditions. “It was challenging but we got it done,” said Davido as the live virtual launch wrapped. “I’m proud to be working with Infinix Mobility to bring this to reality.”
Infinix announced that the Note 7, which comes in 64GB/4GB RAM, 128GB/6GB RAM, and 64GB/4GB RAM LITE models would be available immediately.
