You have probably heard about the Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phones, some call them Lipa Pole Pole phones, essentially smartphones sold in Kenya in installments. In this article, we explain all the information you need to know about them, the available models, the prices, the requirements and how to get them.
Here is the deal. Safaricom has
a partnership with Google to avail Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phones payable in daily
installments as low as Ksh 20 for 12 months. But first, you have to pay a
deposit of Ksh 1,000. There is only one phone currently on offer, the Neon Ray
Pro, a 4G smartphone that is powered by Android 10 (Go edition). The RAM
size is 1GB. The internal memory is 16GB with support for expansion up to 32GB
using microSD cards. It has 5MP front & Back Camera.
On the flipside, Neon Ray Pro is a Single SIM phone with a
non-impressive battery capacity (2500mAh). It cannot sustain heavy usage such
as browsing the web and chatting for an entire day. It is also restricted to using
a Safaricom line only.
If you are looking for something better than this, check out
this pricelist
of smartphones on loan, a larger variety of powerful Samsung, Nokia, Infinix
and OPPO phones available on lipa pole pole terms in Kenya.
These powerful smartphones are among the latest in the
market, with amazing features such as the latest Android Operating System,
impressive RAM (up to 4GB) and Internal Storage (up to 128GB). Unlike the
Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phones, M-KOPA phones are
not restricted to Safaricom Sim Cards and are available to anyone irrespective
of age and CRB status.
Eligibility for Lipa Mdogo Mdogo Phones
Not everyone can get a Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phone.
There are a number of hurdles that lock out most people from accessing the
devices. In a nutshell, persons over 75 years, current smartphone owners and
those listed on CRB cannot acquire these offers.
The following categories of people are NOT eligible to get
the Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phones:
1. Persons currently using any 4G smartphone. This includes
those who have in the recent past used a 4G phone.
2. Persons listed on CRB due to pending loans – including
FULIZA, M-Shwari, HELB and other loans.
3. New customers whose Safaricom lines are less than 1 year
old.
4. Persons under 18 years and above 75 years of age.
Payment and Prices
You are at liberty to pay for your Safaricom Lipa Mdogo
Mdogo phone either daily, weekly or monthly depending on your income flows. You
can also pay from another Mpesa number and the amount will reflect on your
account.
Incase you default in payment, Safaricom gives you up to 3
days of usage. However, the smartphone is locked on the fourth day until you
resume payment. Once locked, Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phones cannot make any
calls or send SMS. If you completely fail to pay for the phone, you are listed
with CRB.
To encourage customers to make payments on time, Safaricom
rewards them with free 100MBs YouTube bundles whenever they pay for 7
consecutive days.
Application Procedure
1. Dial *544# from your device, Select Option 8 (Lipa Mdogo
Mdogo)
2. Select Option 1 to Accept the Terms and Conditions
3. Safaricom will access your eligibility and send you a
confirmation SMS
4. The SMS also notifies you of the currently available
phones and their prices.
5. Select your preferred phone and pay the Ksh 500 deposit
via M-Pesa.
6. Collect your Lipa Mdogo Mdogo phone from the nearest Safaricom shop.