Meet Yolo, Intel’s First Smartphone For Africa

Smartphones of all shapes, sizes, and price tags can be found left and right. In most places, the chances are that you will find a device that will suit your budget and preferences. Different countries offer unique markets, of course, and mobile phone manufacturers are taking this into serious consideration, always looking for ways to gain a foothold. In Kenya, Intel is making headway. They have partnered up with Safaricom, the leading mobile network operator in the country.

The result of this collaboration is Intel’s first smartphone for Africa, the Yolo.

I know what you’re thinking. What the heck were they thinking when they named the smartphone? I, for one, would like double of what they were on when they decided on Yolo!

It looks okay.

Martin Gicheru has posted a hands on review of the Intel Yolo, and based on the photos he showed, I think the best thing I can say about the looks of the phone is that it is okay. It comes in black – no other colors for now – and is 12.6mm thick. Other dimensions: 110.5 x 61 x 12.6mm and weight is 132g.

Now that seems humongous, especially if you compare it to the S3 and iPhone 5, which are in the 7mm range. But it’s not really fair a comparison is it? The Intel Yolo belongs to a totally different range of phones.

How about performance?

For many users, the performance is more important than aesthetics. Natural, the Yolo has Intel inside – a 1.2GHz Atom processor to be precise. It has 512MB RAM and a 400MHz GPU. It has 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using a microSD. The screen is 3.5 inches.

Here’s the pleasant surprise. According to AnTuTu benchmarks, the Intel Yolo performs better than the first Samsung Galaxy Note, the Nexus, and the SII!

Other key details

The Intel Yolo has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, A-GPS, FM Radio, and Micro-USB 2.0. It runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and even better, Safaricom has not opted to install bloatware. The 5MP camera does a decent job as long as the lighting is good.

The bottom line: Intel seems to have done pretty well with this entry-level smartphone.

[Images via gizmodo & techweez]