Manufacturers tackle fake device market in Africa via recycling
Monday, October 1, 2012 - 13:12:36
There is quite a problem with the use of phoney mobile phones across various African nations, with people using devices that claim to be the real deal but are, in fact, just cheap knock-offs.
Now mobile manufacturers, Samsung and Nokia, are planning to take on this underworld industry directly in Kenya, using phone recycling to get the job done.
The Communications Commission of Kenya has been planning to crack down on fraudulent mobile phones for some time and at the end of September, it took action by turning off network support for such devices.
Samsung offered customers who owned fake devices in the run up to the switch off the chance to unload their soon to be obsolete device, in exchange for the genuine article.
It set up a campaign sensibly titled 'Give up the Fake,' which provided consumers full mobile phone recycling facilities if they were willing to turn in their phoney handsets and exchange them for a cut price Samsung phone as a replacement.
One of the advantages of buying a real Samsung device in Kenya is that it will not only work following the crackdown, but will also come with a valuable two year warranty, which will protect it against mechanical faults.
Finnish mobile manufacturer, Nokia, has taken a similar step and has established various mobile phone recycling centres across Kenya, so that people can do away with their phoney handsets without also damaging the environment.
It is estimated that at least three million fake phones will be rendered useless by the regulator's clampdown, which means that there will be a large amount of unwanted mobiles that need to be properly disposed of, or else face being a real hazard.
Both manufacturers are pushing to improve awareness of mobile phone recycling in Kenya and elsewhere across the African continent.
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