Given the perennial issue of forex scarcity and high inflation, the cost of smartphones has risen significantly in Nigeria in recent times.
Despite this, there is often a need to purchase a second phone, whether to replace a damaged or stolen device or to upgrade to a better model.
Notably, the launch of 5G by two telecom companies in Nigeria, MTN and Mafab Communications (Mcom), as well as the anticipation of its launch by Airtel, has made the consideration for 5G smartphones essential when shopping for a new phone.
Many people switched from 3G to 4G by acquiring 4G-enabled smartphones, and the 5G revolution has now begun in earnest. At some point, many will have no choice but to switch to 5G, which offers a better-quality experience compared to 4G.
With 5G, subscribers get an entirely new experience of internet speed, and the technology is expected to unlock new opportunities in all areas of the nation’s economy.
Despite the introduction of many 5G phones in the Nigerian market by different brands, the price remains a concern since most 5G-enabled phones are more expensive than their 4G counterparts.
However, there are still some 5G phones that you can purchase without breaking the bank. Nairametrics’ survey of the market prices for these devices reveals the top 10 cheapest 5G phones in Nigeria as of January 2023.
10. Tecno Camon 19 Pro (N239,000)
The Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G Android smartphone was announced in June 2022. The phone features a 6.8″ display, MT6833P Dimensity 810 chipset, and 5000 mAh battery. It comes in two variants of 128GB 8GB RAM, and 256GB 8GB RAM.
With its triple camera Camon 19 Pro spots a main 64 MP, and two 2MP cameras at the rear, and in front is a 16MP HDR camera for selfies. The phone is currently selling for around N239,000.
9. Nokia G60 (N207,000)
The Nokia G60 5G is a powerful device that offers a lot of features for a mid-range device. It has a 6.58-inch display that is decent for the price, and it runs on Android 12.
The mobile phone features a 120 Hz refresh-rate screen and a 50 MP triple camera with Nokia’s latest AI technology to give users a smooth everyday smartphone.
The phone comes with 4500mAh and also supports fast charging via USB Type-C 2.0. The Nokia G60 5G is available in three memory variants with 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, and 128GB 6GB RAM storage capacity. It currently sells for about N207,000 in Nigeria.
8. Infinix Note 12 Pro 5G (N193,000)
The Infinix Note 12 Pro 5G was released in July 2022. The phone runs on Android 12 and it is powered by a MediaTek MT6833P Dimensity 810 (6 nm) processor. With its 6.7 inches AMOLED screen, the phone delivers 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution.
A whopping 108MP camera dominated the rear with two other supporting 2MP cameras, while it features a 16MP selfie camera in front. It is fueled by a 5000 mAh, non-removable battery. The phone currently sells for around N193,000 in retail shops in Nigeria.
7. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G (N188,900)
The Samsung comes with Samsung’s 5nm Exynos 1280 processor running things behind the scenes along with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable internal storage. It has a 6.6-inch LCD display of Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.
It features a 6,000 mAh battery, which is huge and right in line with what one expects from most Samsung Galaxy M series phones. For pictures, it packs a 50-megapixel main camera that’s accompanied by a 5MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP depth-sensing camera for portrait shots, and a 2MP macro camera. At the front, it has an 8MP camera for taking selfies. The current market price is around (188,900).
6. Redmi Note 11S (N170,000)
Announced in January 2022, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G comes with Android 11, a 6.60 inches IPS LCD Display, and MediaTek MT6833P Dimensity 810 (6 nm) processor. It has a 50MP main rear camera and a 13MP selfies camera in front. The phone is powered by a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging. The market price is currently around N170,000.
5. Nokia X20 (159,200)
The Nokia X20 5G mobile phone features a 64 MP rear quad camera with ZEISS Optics and a 32 MP selfie camera. The display size is 6.67 inches with an IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen that provides a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. The internal storage is 128 GB which supports 6 GB, and 8 GB RAM with a Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, and proximity.
It is powered by the Qualcomm SM4350 Snapdragon 480 5G Octa-core processor while the GPU is Adreno 619. Nokia X20 is fueled with a non-removable Li-Po 4470 mAh battery + Fast charging 18W. The phone costs around N159,200 in some retail shops.
4. TECNO Pova 5G (N150,000)
TECNO Pova 5G comes with a 6000 mAh capacity battery built-in. It features a 50-megapixel triple AI camera on the back for capturing those lovely memories.
The camera consists of a 50 megapixels wide-angle sensor, a 2 megapixels macro sensor, and 2 megapixels depth sensor. In front is a 16MP selfie camera. The phone is powered by MediaTek MT6877 Dimensity 900 5G (6 nm) Octa-core Processor. It is currently being sold at around N150,000 in the Nigerian market.
3. OPPO A74 5G (N145,000)
The OPPO A74 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 480 5G processor with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal memory. No need to worry if you run out of RAM because this affordable 5G smartphone is equipped with virtual memory expansion technology.
The Oppo A74 5G comes with Android 11 OS, 6.5 inches LTPS IPS LCD 90Hz Display, Snapdragon 480 5G Chipset, Quad (48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP) Rear and 16MP Selfie Cameras. The OPPO A74 5G also runs well, thanks to a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging. The average market price is N145,000.
2. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G (N139,000)
Launched in July 2021, the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G is one of the cheapest 5G phones available in Nigeria today. This 5G smartphone has 6/128GB of memory and is supported by the Android 11 operating system. With a 6.60 TFT screen at 080x2400px resolution, the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G is powered by MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 5G.
The phone also has fast charging technology that allows the 5000mAh battery to be charged faster. The average price in the market is N139,000.
1. Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro 5G (N118,000)
The Poco M4 Pro 5G from the stable of Xiaomi comes as the cheapest 5G smartphone in Nigeria as of now. The phone comes with a 6.60″ IPS LCD screen delivering 1080 x 2400 resolution and backed by a 5000 mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. The phone packs a 50MP main camera at the rear plus an 8 MP ultra-wide camera. In the front is a 16MP selfie camera.
Packed with enough internal memories, the phone comes in variants of 64GB 4GB RAM and 128GB 6GB RAM. Poco M4 Pro is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G (6 nm) processor and runs on Android 11, MIUI 12.5. The phone is currently being sold in the market at an average cost of N118,000.
Note: The prices may vary depending on the retail store you are buying from and also the time you are buying. These prices were quoted as their average prices having compared prices in 3 major stores in Lagos as of January 2023.
Oppo A92s go and research
From iPhone X/Xr to the newest versions.
I like wht am seeing
Please pick no offence with my words selection, the above listed phone prices, let us be sincere with ourself, can majority of nigeria workers with mid income talkless of low income earner offord it, God deliver us from our critics
Can this prices and phones be reviewed to reflect 2024? Thank you