High phone prices push some Nigerians towards cheaper Smartphones

By Islamiyyah Adekanbi

Some Nigerians are increasingly turning to cheaper smartphones as rising phone prices and reduced purchasing power make expensive devices harder to afford, according to interviews with phone dealers and users.
A phone salesman in Ikeja with two years’ experience, Majiyagbe Tunmise, said he had noticed more customers choosing cheaper devices because of their budgets.
Tunmise said customers consider what they intend to use their phones for and what they can afford. He said Android phones within the ₦200,000 to N400,000 range were commonly considered, while some customers compared them with Samsung S-series phones priced above ₦400,000.
He added that battery life and price were important considerations, particularly among iPhone buyers, although some cheaper devices also perform well.
Akinseye Praise, Chief Executive Officer of Berekete Gadgets, in Computer Village, Lagos, who has three years’ experience in the business, also observed increased demand for cheaper smartphones.
Praise said customers sometimes opted for an iPhone 13, which he said sold for between ₦350,000 and ₦400,000, instead of models such as the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which he said cost ₦600,000 and above.
He attributed the preference for cheaper devices to purchasing power and the difficult economic situation. According to him, customers also pay attention to battery life and durability, while more expensive phones generally offer better specifications and performance.
A phone and laptop sales and repair personnel at CosmosTech Gadgets, Computer Village, Ikeja, David Emmanuel, said price was a major factor for his customers.
Emmanuel said some buyers preferred “mint” or Nigerian-used phones because they were unwilling or unable to spend large amounts on a smartphone. He added that customers still considered battery life and durability when making their choices.
For users, affordability and personal needs also influenced their decisions.
Irekponor Osagie Raphael, an On-Air Personality and event host, uses a Tecno POP 8, which he said cost about ₦130,000. He said cost was the main reason for his choice, although he described the battery life as fairly good. He said the screen had developed problems twice and that he would prefer to upgrade if he had more money.
A Mass Communication student at Lagos State University, Abubakri Alimi, uses a vivo Y04, which he said cost between ₦190,000 and ₦200,000. He said battery life was his main reason for choosing the device, adding that it could last about nine hours. He said the screen had broken once.
However, price was not the main consideration for every buyer.
Habeeb Balogun, a graphic designer, said he chose his ₦350,000 iPhone 13 because of its speed and camera quality.
Similarly, Zainab Opeyemi, a social media manager, said camera quality influenced her decision to switch from an Infinix phone to an iPhone XS Max. She said its battery lasted about five to six hours depending on usage and that she had experienced a screen issue after it fell.
The interviews suggest that while financial pressure is pushing some consumers towards cheaper

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