Vodacom’s R799 smartphone with great features

Vodacom’s Kicka 6 smartphone is an affordable and capable device that won’t leave mobile subscribers behind when the country’s 2G and 3G networks are switched off.

Mobile networks have identified the unaffordability of 4G and 5G devices as a significant hindrance in migrating their customers to the newer technologies.

Vodacom previously told MyBroadband that demand for 2G and 3G devices remains high due to challenging economic conditions and the high prices of 4G and 5G smartphones.

“Transitions of this nature have a significant impact on customers, and we are hopeful that Icasa will work with the industry to develop a practical schedule for sunsetting of legacy technologies during its feasibility study, which we expect to commence shortly,” it added.

South Africa’s mobile network operators will commence the shutting down of their 2G and 3G networks on 1 June 2025.

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies hasn’t specified which network technology will be the first to go.

“The sequencing for sunsetting of 2G and 3G networks and their related dates will be determined by the Authority subject to conducting an economic and regulatory impact assessment,” it said in the Next-Generation Radio Frequency Spectrum policy.

The 2G and 3G networks in South Africa must be entirely switched off by 31 December 2027.

However, devices like Vodacom’s Kicka 6 and Kicka 6 Plus could help customers migrate to 4G, offering popular features and great specs for a low price.

The smartphone features a 6-inch LCD touchscreen, expandable storage, 4G connectivity, and support for dual sims, making it an attractive offering with prices starting at R799.

It has 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot that can expand storage by up to 256GB.

Running Android 12 Go, it supports popular apps like WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook Lite.

In terms of photographic capabilities, the Kicka 6 has a 5-megapixel primary shooter that has been interpolated to eight megapixels and a 2MP selfie camera.

The Vodacom Kicka 6 Plus offers specs similar to the Kicka 6 but with a larger 6.3-inch display. It also ups the battery capacity from 3,000mAh to 4,000mAh.

It is available for R1,299 from Vodacom.

Among similarly-priced 4G smartphones, the Kicka 6 series occupies an important spot in terms of trade-offs between cost and feature set.

While cheaper 4G smartphones are available in the country, they make different design choices compared to the Vodacom Kicka 6 and Kicka 6 Pro.

A MyBroadband comparison of the cheapest 4G smartphones in April 2024 revealed that South Africans have a range of smartphones to choose from, with prices between R599 and R799.

These include devices like the Hisense U31, Itel V52, Mobicel Neo Plus, and Hisense U964.

However, the Kicka 6 and Kicka 6 Plus generally outclass these devices in terms of their hardware specifications.

For example, the Mobicel Force is priced at R599. It features a quarter of the internal storage offered with the Vodacom Kicka 6, as well as a smaller display and battery.

Similarly, the Hisense U964, which has the same price as the Vodacom Kicka 6, features a smaller 5-inch display, half the internal storage, and a far smaller battery.

Specifications for the Vodacom Kicka and Kicka 6 Plus are provided in the table below. The devices are available from several retailers and through Vodacom’s own stores.