Can $40 smartphone close the digital divide in African countries?

This article was originally published in Rest of World, which covers technology’s impact outside the West.

Can a $40 smartphone bring Africa online?

On March 3, the GSMA, a global advocacy and lobby group for the mobile communications industry, announced partnerships to pilot $40 smartphones in Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda in 2026.

“Affordable 4G smartphones at scale could bring tens of millions of people online, unlocking access to education, healthcare, financial services, e-commerce, and AI-powered tools,” GSMA said in a press release.

Around 960 million Africans don’t use mobile internet despite living within the coverage area, suggesting device affordability, not infrastructure, is the barrier. At $40, a 4G smartphone would cost only about 10% more than the global average selling price of a feature phone, according to Counterpoint Research.

But at a time when the global average price of a smartphone has surpassed $400, making and scaling an ultracheap smartphone won’t be easy, industry experts and analysts said. Over the last decade, several affordable phone projects have failed due to poor economics, technology limitations, and ecosystem issues.

“You can hit $40 if the device is stripped right back: small display, minimal RAM and storage, older 4G chipsets, basic cameras, Android Go-style software, and almost no margin,” Steven Athwal, managing director and founder of...

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