Safaricom & Intel launch Yolo, Africa’s first smartphone with Intel Inside

As we wait for XOLO X500 smartphone launch in India (which should ideally happen in the next couple of days), Intel and Safaricom have announced the launch of Yolo in Keyna, Africa’s first Intel-powered smartphone. Both XOLO X500 and Yolo are the same devices, region-wise customised versions of Intel reference device for Lexington platform.

Price at Kshs. 10,999, Yolo comes bundled with free 500 MB data and is aimed at the first time smartphone buyers and budget conscious consumers. The smartphone will be available starting tomorrow in the country.

This launch makes Yolo, the first commercial device to run on Intel’s Lexington platform, which was announced at Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month. The phone runs on 1.2GHz Atom Z2420 processor and features 3.5-inch HVGA display.

“We’re redefining what cost-conscious Kenyans can expect from a smartphone,” said Peter Arina, general manager, Safaricom’ s Consumer Business Unit. “The Intel-based Yolo smartphone strikes a unique balance between price and performance – we consider it to be a real breakthrough. It’s great news that Kenya will be the launch country in Africa for smartphones with Intel Inside and we expect a great reception from our customers.”

The Yolo also packs a 5MP rear camera, HSPA+ connectivity, microSD card support,512MB RAM, FM Radio, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and 1500 mAh battery.