Rwanda’s Mara Group launched two smartphones on Monday October 7, 2019, describing them as the first “Made in Africa” models.
The Mara Group launched two smartphones; Mara Z and Mara X, and it uses Google’s Android operating system and cost 175,750 Rwandan francs ($190) and 120,250 Rwandan francs ($130) respectively.
Check out the full specification of Rwanda’s latest Mara Z;
Wireless Network and Software
- 2G mobile network bands: GSM, GPRS, EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz.
- 3G mobile network bands: UMTS, WCDMA, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 MHz
- 4G mobile network bands: LTE 1(2100), 3(1800), 5 (850), 7(2600), 8(900) 20(800), 38(2600), 40(2300)
- 5G mobile network bands: No.
- SIM Type: Dual SIM (nano sim)
- Software / OS: Android 8 Oreo. Android One.
Design, Form Factor, Appearance
- Dimensions: 154.2 x 72.7 x 7.96 mm
- Weight: 152 g
- Display: 5.7 inches, 720 x 1440 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio, IPS LCD with Corning® Gorilla® Glass and Oleophobic Coating.
- Colours: Black. Gold. Grey.
- Physical Build: Plastic.
Internal Hardware Specs
- Processor Type: 64-bit, 1.4 GHz Octa-core, Cortex-A53
- Processor Name: Qualcomm MSM8940 Snapdragon 435
- Graphics Processor:
- RAM: 3 GB
- Internal Storage: 32 GB
- External Storage: microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot)
Photography, Video Recording
- Rear Camera: 13 MP single camera, f2.0 Aperture, auto focus, Portrait Mode (Bokeh effect) , LED flash, 1080p@30fps video recording, Dual Recording.
- Front-facing Camera: 13 MP, f2.2 Aperture, fixed focus, 1080p@30fps video capture.
Audio, Video Playback
- Music Support: PCM, AAC / AAC + / eAAC + / MP3 / AMR – NB / WB / APE
- Audio: 3.5 mm audio jack
- Loudspeaker: Mono speakers. Dolby Audio 5.1.
- Video Support: H.264/MP4/MPEG4 player
- FM Radio: Yes.
Sensors
- Digital Compass: No.
- Accelerometer: Yes.
- Proximity Sensor: Yes.
- Ambient Light Sensor: Yes.
- Barometer: No.
- Pedometer: No.
- Heart Rate Monitor: No.
- Gyroscope (G-Sensor): Yes.
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes; rear-mounted
- Face Unlock: Yes.
- Iris Scanner: No.
- Voice Control: Yes.
- Intelligent Digital Assistant:
- Infra-red Senor: No.
ALSO READ: Rwanda launches first ‘Made in Africa’ smartphones
Connectivity Options
- Bluetooth: v4.2, A2DP
- WiFi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, hotspot
- GPS: Yes, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
- USB: microUSB v2.0; USB-OTG
- NFC: No.
Miscellaneous Specs and Features
- Battery Type and Capacity: Non-removable Lithium-Polymer 3070 mAh
- Battery Charging: Mara Turbo Charge (0 to 50% in 30 minutes).
- Reverse Charging: No.
- Announced: February 2019
- Market Availability: October 2019
Mara Z Price and Availability
- Country Availability: Online.
- Price: 175,750 Rwandan francs ($190) or ₦67,000 in Nigeria (based on the current exchange rate)
The Mara Z smartphone is available to buyers from countries around the world on the Maraphone website. Maraphone is a Rwandan mobile phone brand.
Credit: Mara Group