{"id":588285,"date":"2025-03-25T18:01:34","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T16:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=588285"},"modified":"2025-03-25T18:05:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T16:05:35","slug":"good-news-for-cheap-5g-smartphones-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/smartphones\/588285-good-news-for-cheap-5g-smartphones-in-south-africa.html","title":{"rendered":"Good news for cheap 5G smartphones in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

South Africans looking for an affordable 5G smartphone will find numerous models across multiple brands available for under R5,000 in early 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MyBroadband’s latest analysis of budget 5G smartphones on the local market shows that the entry price has lifted slightly from a few months ago, when the ZTE Blade A72 was the most affordable option at around R1,500. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the cheapest option in March 2025 \u2014 the MTN Icon 5G \u2014 is much newer and boasts better hardware. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This model was selling for as low as R1,899 on Takealot at the time of our analysis, a R600 reduction on its R2,499 launch price in November 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve such a low price, MTN locks the phone to its network on at least one of the two SIM slots. This suggests MTN subsidises the device and banks on recouping the loss it takes on sales through airtime, minutes, data, or SMS bundle purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Icon 5G sports a 6.6-inch display, but its resolution and refresh rate are unspecified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other confirmed specifications include a 5,000mAh battery, 128GB storage, and a 2.2GHz octa-core processor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many other components of this device that are also unspecified, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi versions, charging speeds, and biometric unlocking capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTN does not even share what version of Android the phone runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From its design, the Icon 5G appears to be a rebranded ZTE Nubia smartphone, although a reverse image search failed to show precisely which one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer offers two other highly affordable 5G models \u2014 the Nubia Focus and Nubia Neo2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These were priced at R3,299 and R3,499 at the time of publication and offered some incredible specifications for budget devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, both boast 120Hz refresh rates, while the Neo2 supports up to 33W wired charging and IP54 dust and water resistance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hisense was the only other brand with more than one device in the top 10 most affordable options, meaning the selection of brands with budget 5G smartphones has increased substantially. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oukitel, Oppo, Vivo, Tecno, and Samsung each had one device in the top 10 cheapest 5G smartphones available online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on the retail prices of some of the devices in our analysis, the ad valorem<\/em> duty exemption on smartphones below R2,500 may also help bring down 5G smartphone prices in addition to reducing 4G device price tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below are the specifications and images of 10 of the most affordable 5G smartphones in South Africa in March 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MTN Icon 5G \u2014 From R1,899 (Takealot)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
MTN Icon 5G <\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified Android<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.6-inch with unspecified resolution <\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Octa-core 2.2GHz<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>4GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>128GB<\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>50MP<\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>8MP<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Unspecified Wi-Fi and Bluetooth<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>3.5mm audio jack <\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>5,000mAh
Unspecified charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Dual physical (second SIM for any network if first has active MTN SIM) <\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ZTE Nubia Focus 5G \u2014 R3,399 (Vodacom)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
ZTE Nubia Focus 5G<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android 13<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.56-inch 720 \u00d7 1,612 LCD
120Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Unisoc T760<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>6GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>256GB<\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>108MP with autofocus + 2MP<\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>5MP<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack<\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>Unknown<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>5,000mAh
22.5W wired charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Side-mounted fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Dual physical<\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>163.6 \u00d7 74.9 \u00d7 8.6mm (205.5g)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ZTE Nubia Neo2 5G \u2014 From R3,499 (Makro)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Nubia Neo2 5G<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android 13<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.72-inch 1,080 \u00d7 2,400
120Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Unisoc T820<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>8GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>256GB, microSD card up to 1TB<\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>50MP + 2MP<\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>16MP<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C<\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>IP54<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>6,000mAh
33W wired charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Side-mounted fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Dual physical<\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>166 \u00d7 76.1 \u00d7 8.5mm (208g)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hisense Infinity H50s 5G \u2014 From R3,500<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Hisense Infinity 50s 5G<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android 11<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.78-inch 1,080 \u00d7 2,460
60Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Mediatek Dimensity 700<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>8GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>128GB, microSD card up to 2TB<\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>108MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP<\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>16MP<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C<\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>5,000mAh
18W wired charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Side-mounted fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Single physical<\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>170 \u00d7 78 \u00d7 9.2mm (205g)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hisense Infinity H60 5G \u2014 From R3,999 (Takealot\/Bash)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Hisense H60 5G<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android 11<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.57-inch 2,340 \u00d7 1080 OLED 120Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Mediatek Dimensity 810<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>8GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>128GB<\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>64MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP<\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>16MP<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack<\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>4,200mAh
30W wired charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Under-display optical fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Single physical<\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tecno Spark 10 5G \u2014 From R4,000 (Takealot) <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Tecno Spark 10 5G<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android 13<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.6-inch 720 \u00d7 1,612 LCD
90Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Mediatek Dimensity 6020<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>4GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>64GB<\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>50MP <\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>8MP<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Unspecified Wi-Fi and Bluetooth<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack<\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>5,000mAh
18W wired charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Side-mounted fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Dual physical<\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>164 \u00d7 75 \u00d7 8mm (Unspecified weight)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Samsung Galaxy A25 5G \u2014 R4,299 (Bash)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android 14<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.5-inch 2,340 \u00d7 1,080 OLED
120Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Exynos 1280 <\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>6GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>128GB <\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>50MP + 8MP + 2MP<\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>13MP<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Wi-F 5, Bluetooth 5.3<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C<\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified <\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>5,000mAh
25W wired charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Side-mounted fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Dual physical <\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>161.0 \u00d7 76.5 \u00d7 8.3 (197g)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vivo Y52 5G \u2014 From R4,250 (Takealot)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Vivo Y52 5G <\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android 11<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.58-inch 1,080 \u00d7 2,408 LCD
60Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Mediatek Dimensity 700 <\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>4GB <\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>128GB, microSD up to 1TB <\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>48MP + 2MP + 2MP<\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>8MP <\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack <\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>5,000mAh
18W wired charging <\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Side-mounted fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Dual physical <\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>164 \u00d7 75.3 \u00d7 8.5mm (193g)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Oppo A77 5G \u2014 From R4,299<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Oppo A77 5G<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android <\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.56-inch 720 \u00d7 1,612 LCD
90Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Mediatek Dimensity 810<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>6GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>128GB, microSD up to 1TB<\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>48MP + 2MP<\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>8MP <\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C, 3.5mm audio hack<\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>IPX4<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>5,000mAh
33W wired charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Side-mounted fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Dual physical<\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>163.8 \u00d7 75.1 \u00d7 8mm (190g)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Oukitel C50 5G \u2014 From R4,499 (Takealot)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Oukitel C50 5G<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Operating system<\/strong><\/td>Android 14<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>6.8-inch 720 \u00d7 1,600 LCD
60Hz refresh rate<\/td><\/tr>
Processor<\/strong><\/td>Mediatek Dimensity 6100+<\/td><\/tr>
Memory<\/strong><\/td>8GB<\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/strong><\/td>128GB, microSD up to 1TB<\/td><\/tr>
Rear camera<\/strong><\/td>50MP + unspecified <\/td><\/tr>
Front camera<\/strong><\/td>5MP <\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity <\/strong><\/td>Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2<\/td><\/tr>
Ports<\/strong><\/td>USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack<\/td><\/tr>
IP rating<\/strong><\/td>Unspecified<\/td><\/tr>
Battery<\/strong> and charging speeds<\/strong><\/td>5,150mAh
10W wired charging<\/td><\/tr>
Biometrics<\/strong><\/td>Side-mounted fingerprint reader<\/td><\/tr>
SIMs<\/strong><\/td>Single physical<\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions and weight<\/strong><\/td>167.5 \u00d7 77.7 \u00d7 9.2mm (208g)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MyBroadband assembled a list of 10 5G smartphones under R5,000 in South Africa in March 2025. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341042,"featured_media":588323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62528,17934],"tags":[56058,99278,49955,7155,97955,50157,15513,43050,645,46786,895],"class_list":["post-588285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-5g","category-smartphones","tag-5g-smartphones","tag-budget-5g-smartphones","tag-budget-smartphones","tag-hisense","tag-mtn-icon-5g","tag-nubia","tag-oppo","tag-oukitel","tag-samsung","tag-vivo","tag-zte"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/588285"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341042"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=588285"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/588285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":588578,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/588285\/revisions\/588578"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/588323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=588285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=588285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=588285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}