GSMA coalition to pilot US$40 smartphones in six African countries

Details: John Tanner; Category: Devices & Platforms; 04 March 2026; 8654 views

The GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition signed an MoU with the Africa Group of Six (G6) operators on Tuesday to introduce US$40 entry-level 4G smartphones in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda this year.

The MoU – which was announced at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona – formalises collaboration between the GSMA, the G6 group and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) partners to pilot affordable entry-level 4G smartphones in Africa and lobby governments to support their efforts.

G6 operator members include Airtel, Axian Telecom, Ethio Telecom, MTN, Orange and Vodacom.

The GSMA said the pilots build on the minimum requirements for low-cost 4G devices unveiled at MWC Kigali in 2025 and represent a significant step forward in turning industry alignment into tangible, on-the-ground impact.

The GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition was created in 2024 with the goal of lowering the cost of entry-level smartphones worldwide. The coalition says that smartphones must be priced in the US$30-40 range to unlock mass adoption in emerging markets where affordability remains a key barrier. The GSMA estimates that 3.1 billion people have mobile coverage but are not connected to the mobile internet.

However, the current surge in the global cost of memory prices is making it increasingly difficult for OEMs to attain that price point. Last week, consulting group Omdia said that while smartphone shipments to Africa saw a 14% year-on-year uptick in Q4 2025, the firm expects those numbers to decline 22% in 2026, with low-price devices in particular hit by component inflation. Omdia also noted that in some markets, import duties and cost of living expenses are also impeding entry-level smartphone take-up.

That’s why the MoU calls for G6 operators to work with their respective governments to reduce or eliminate taxes and import duties on entry-level 4G smartphones, said GSMA director general Vivek Badrinath.

“In a global context of rising memory costs, governments have an important role in bridging the usage gap. Removing taxes and import duties on entry-level 4G smartphones will be critical to achieving scale,” he said in a statement. “Together with the G6 group of leading African operators, we are sending a clear demand signal to bring low-cost 4G devices to market.”

The GSMA and coalition members will reconvene industry leaders and policymakers at the next MWC Kigali event in June this year to assess progress of the pilots and advance discussions on handset affordability, closing the usage gap and locally relevant AI innovations.