VMK, a technology startup company based in Congo, Africa, is aspiring to become in Africa what Apple is in the U.S. and what Samsung is in South Korea. Founded by Congolese entrepreneur Verone Mankou, VMK has revealed two of its latest creations – a smartphone and a tablet. VMK’s tablet is called “Way-C,” which means “light of the stars” in the local Lingala language. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz processor and supported by a 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal storage.
The Way-C tablet also features a 4200mAh battery, USB and Wi-Fi support, and Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread. On the other hand, VMK’s smartphone goes under the moniker “Elikia,” which incidentally means hope. It is running Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread and is powered by a 650 MHz processor. It features a 3.5-inch display, 512MB of RAM, 123MB of internal storage , Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, USB connectivity, and a 1300mAh battery.
The Way-C tablet costs around $300 while the Elikia smartphone is priced at $170. “Only Africans can know what Africa needs. Apple is huge in the U.S., Samsung is huge in Asia, and we want VMK to be huge in Africa,” the 26-year old Mankou said. We still don’t know if both devices are made in Africa or possibly, in China.
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