Safaricom's smartphone factory in Kenya assembled approximately 700,000 devices in its first year of operation, contributing to increased access to technology in the region. The factory also created around 300 jobs, highlighting the impact of local manufacturing on employment. This development is part of a broader narrative focusing on connectivity rather than just device specifications, according to Vodacom Group's FY2026 integrated report.

Kenyan billionaire Joshua Chepkwony's company, EADAK Limited, has successfully assembled 700,000 smartphones in its first year of operations. This achievement was made possible through a partnership with Safaricom.

Huawei has unveiled its Nova 16s series, expanding the company's international Nova smartphone lineup with two new models. According to htxt.africa, at least one of the devices is expected to launch in South Africa, signalling Huawei's continued push into the region's consumer smartphone market. The announcement marks the latest addition to the Nova range, which targets mid-range buyers. Specific pricing and local availability details for the South African market have not yet been confirmed in the report.

Huawei has unveiled its Watch GT 7 series for global markets following the smartwatch lineup's debut in China a couple of weeks earlier. According to htxt.africa, the announcement extends availability of the new wearables beyond China to the rest of the world. The report indicates the GT 7 series is now being introduced internationally, though specific pricing, specifications, and regional release dates were not detailed in the initial coverage.

Kenya's active SIM subscriptions increased by 5.7 million, reaching a total of 84.1 million in early 2026. The surge in subscriptions is analyzed to understand the underlying factors contributing to this growth, according to Tech-ish.

Samsung has begun beta testing its One UI 9 Watch software on the Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch 8, and Galaxy Watch Ultra in South Korea and the United States, according to Tech-ish. The beta program allows users to preview upcoming features ahead of a wider release. Meanwhile, older Galaxy Watch models are receiving security patches rather than the new software, continuing Samsung's practice of supporting legacy devices with maintenance updates.