Smartphones8.10.2024

Best smartphones you can import to South Africa — from R7,700 to R26,000

While South Africa’s retailers and mobile networks offer an extensive range of smartphones, several outstanding models are not officially sold locally.

Google, OnePlus, and Asus are three major brands that do not sell smartphones in South Africa.

Asus has launched several gaming-focused smartphones that pack incredible hardware.

Its most recent flagship — the ROG Phone 8 Pro — boasts 24GB of RAM, a customisable matrix light display on the rear, touch-sensitive bumper buttons, and an astounding 165Hz screen refresh rate.

Google’s Pixel devices offer a cleaner Android operating system without the bloatware that other major Android manufacturers typically ship on their devices.

OnePlus is a subbrand of Chinese smartphone company Oppo that has amassed widespread appeal overseas for offering incredible value for money and a solid software experience.

Other brands that do have a presence in South Africa — like Xiaomi — don’t offer some of their best models locally.

As with many other kinds of products, US consumers tend to have the broadest selection of devices, often at highly competitive prices.

The country’s biggest online retailer — Amazon.com — offers a vast catalogue of smartphones, many of which can be shipped to South Africa without a package-forwarding service.

While Amazon has also launched a South African marketplace, the Amazon.co.za platform has a much smaller line-up of products.

The marketplace is not linked to Amazon’s overseas platforms and only offers products from local resellers.

Fortunately, buying a product from Amazon.com in South Africa is easy and comes without any hidden costs.

Amazon.com calculates shipping, import taxes, and delivery to your chosen address before you hit the checkout button.

It has so much faith in its systems that it not only covers any shortfall in taxes paid by the customer but also refunds customers if it overestimates the amounts.

The only major problem is that some smartphone brands do not offer local support, so buyers might encounter problems with warranty claims if their device has a defect down the line.

However, if the issue is detected early after receiving the device, Amazon allows for returns and refunds within 30 days of delivery for orders fulfilled by itself.

Shipping the product back after several months will have to be at your own cost.

An alternative option to consider for those who are concerned about long-term warranties is to use a specialist importer like Connected Devices or Tech Warehouse.

Bear in mind, however, that these retailers tend to ask a premium to make a reasonable profit and be able to offer a warranty on imported smartphones.

Check for network locking

If you are willing to try out shopping on Amazon.com yourself, one important attribute to verify before checking out with your preferred model is the unlocked status, which will ensure the phone works on South African cellular networks.

US mobile carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon often subsidise the cost of smartphones provided you use their network, similar to how cheap smartphones in South Africa are often locked to Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, or Cell C.

Another caveat to be aware of is that certain features might not be fully supported locally.

For example, several Pixel importers have reported that 5G does not yet work in South Africa.

Below are eight great smartphones that are not officially sold in South Africa that you can import via Amazon.com.

The pricing indicated includes shipping, import taxes, and delivery to South Africa.

Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro — The mobile gamer’s best friend

Asus ROG Phone 8
Operating systemAndroid 14
DisplayMain: 6.78-inch 1,080 x 2,400 OLED with 165Hz refresh rate
Rear: 341 MiniLED matrix
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Memory16GB | 24GB
Storage512GB | 1TB
Rear camera50MP + 32MP + 13MP
Front camera32MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Cellular 5G
PortsUSB-C (supports DisplayPort 1.4)
Battery and charging speeds5,500mAh
65W wired
15W Qi wireless
10W reverse wireless
BiometricsOptical under-display fingerprint reader
SIMsDual nano SIM
Dimensions and weight163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm (225g)
Starting price $1,464.77 (R25,477)

Google Pixel 9 — The clean Android

Google Pixel 9
Operating systemAndroid 14
Display6.3-inch 1,080 x 2,424 OLED with 120Hz refresh rate
ProcessorGoogle Tensor G4
Memory12GB
Storage 128GB | 256GB
Rear camera50MP + 48MP
Front camera10.5MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3
Cellular 5G
PortsUSB-C 3.2
Battery and charging speeds4,700mAh
27W wired
15W Pixel wireless
12W Qi wireless
Unspecified reverse wireless
BiometricsUltrasonic under-display fingerprint reader
SIMsNano SIM and eSIM
Dimensions and weight152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm (198g)
Starting price $959.93 (R16,704)

OnePlus 12 — A true Samsung rival

OnePlus 12
Operating systemOxygenOS 12 on Android 14
Display6.82-inch 1,440 x 3,168 OLED with 120Hz refresh rate
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Memory12GB | 16GB | 24GB
Storage256GB | 512GB | 1TB
Rear camera50MP + 48MP + 64MP
Front camera32MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Cellular 5G
PortsUSB-C 3.2
Battery and charging speeds5,400mAh
80W wired
50W OnePlus wireless
10W reverse wireless
BiometricsOptical under-display fingerprint reader
SIMsDual nano SIMs
Dimensions and weight164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2mm (220g)
Starting price $796.04 (R13,851)

Nothing Phone (2) — The iPhone of Android

Nothing Phone (2)
Operating systemNothing OS 2.0 on Android 13
Display6.7-inch 1,080 x 2,412 OLED with 120Hz refresh rate
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Memory8GB | 12GB
Storage128GB | 256GB | 512GB
Rear camera50MP + 50MP
Front camera32MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Cellular 5G
PortsUSB-C 2.0
Battery and charging speeds4,700mAh
45W wired
15W Qi wireless
5W reverse wireless
BiometricsOptical under-display fingerprint reader
SIMsDual nano SIMs
Dimensions and weight162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mm (201g)
Starting price $723.91 (R12,589)

Xiaomi 14 Ultra — The Chinese heavyweight

Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Operating systemHyperOS on Android 14
Display6.73-inch 1,440 x 3,200 OLED with 120Hz refresh rate
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Memory12GB | 16GB
Storage256GB | 512GB | 1TB
Rear camera50MP + 50MP + 50MP + 50MP + 3D depth sensor
Front camera32MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4
Cellular 5G
PortsUSB-C
Battery and charging speeds5,000mAh
90W wired
80W Xiaomi wireless
10W reverse wireless
SIMsDual nano SIMs
BiometricsOptical under-display fingerprint reader
Dimensions and weight161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2mm (220-320g)
Starting price $1,491.42 (R25,907)

Google Pixel 8 Pro — Affordable clean Android flagship

Google Pixel 8 Pro
Operating systemAndroid 14
Display6.7-inch 1,344 x 2,992 OLED with 120Hz refresh rate
ProcessorGoogle Tensor G3
Memory12GB
Storage128GB | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB
Rear camera50MP + 48MP + 48MP
Front camera10.5MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3
Cellular 5G
PortsUSB-C 3.2
Battery and charging speeds5,050mAh
30W wired
23W wireless
Unspecified reverse wireless
BiometricsOptical under-display fingerprint reader
SIMsNano SIM and eSIM
Dimensions and weight162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8mm (213g)
Starting price $876.77 (R15,254)

Nothing Phone 2a — The budget beater

Nothing Phone 2a
Operating systemNothing OS 2.6 on Android 14
Display6.7-inch 1,080 x 2,412 OLED with 120Hz refresh rate
ProcessorMediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro
RAM8GB | 12GB
Memory 128GB | 256GB
Rear camera50MP + 50MP
Front camera32MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Cellular 5G
PortsUSB-C 2.0
Battery and charging speeds5,000mAh
45W wired
BiometricsOptical under-display fingerprint reader
SIMsDual nano SIM
Dimensions and weight161.7 x 76.3 x 8.6mm (190g)
Starting price $445.30 (R7,744.15)

OnePlus 12R — The top-end of mid-range

OnePlus 12R
Operating systemOxygenOS on Android
Display6.78-inch 1,264 x 2,780 LED with 120Hz refresh rate
ProcessorSnapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM8GB | 12GB | 16GB
Memory 128GB | 256GB
Rear camera50MP + 8MP + 2MP
Front camera16MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3
Cellular 5G
PortsUSB-C 2.0
Battery and charging speeds5,500mAh
100W wired
BiometricsOptical under-display fingerprint reader
SIMsDual nano SIMs
Dimensions and weight163.3 x 75.3 x 8.8mm (207g)
Starting price $603.52 (R10,489)
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