Ugandan company to launch Mara X, an Android One smartphone by mid-2018

Ugandan-based Mara Corporation Limited is set to release the Mara X, an Android One smartphone for the African market in the second quarter of 2018.

The Mara X is expected to run the latest operating system, Android 8.0 Oreo, will get two years of OS upgrades and with the latest innovations from Google, including Google Assistant. With unlimited high-quality photo storage from Google Photos and a carefully curated set of pre-installed apps, the Mara X wants African users to have enough space for the apps they love. With regular security updates and in-built Google Play Protect, Mara X is poised to be among the most secure devices available.

“The Mara X is a device that people can have fun with, learn with and use to build a better future. Africa is seeing a new generation of entrepreneurs looking for mobile technology to help run their businesses, and the Mara X will work for them to pursue greater heights. Our continent is expected to have over 700 million smartphones within a few years, and that connectivity will truly transform lives.” — Mara Corporation Founder, Ashish J Thakkar.

Mara Group began as a small IT business in Uganda and has since expanded to the globally recognized multi-sector investment group that it is today, employing over 14,000 people across 25 African countries and three continents.

The company is also focused on building a digital e-commerce ecosystem to meet the evolving needs of consumers across Africa by investing in key e-commerce enablers like financial technology, social media, last mile logistics and now the Mara X.