The whole world was definitely excited when rumours of the iPhone SE 2020 had been making rounds on the internet. The phone then launched and it just blew up, not because of the name but the cost.

For an iPhone with exactly the same internal specs as the iPhone 11, no one expected Apple to actually launch the phone at $400 starting price, despite earlier leaks. Being one of the iPhones launched at the cheapest price ever, the phone had also been expected to start selling wildly in many markets like Kenya where mid-range smartphones tend to steal the show every time.

However, you might want to rethink your priorities after you know that the iPhone SE will most likely not sell at KES 40,000 in Kenya.

Start off your week with tech news recap and trending conversations in your inbox

Enter valid email-id

Subscribe

I prefer it on Telegram

As we all know, any gadget including smartphones, that are shipped into the country always cost Kenyans an extra coin on top of the original prices. The iPhone 11 64GB model, for instance, launched globally at $699 which would translate to around KES 70k without any tax implications. But by the time it was getting to Kenyan stores, the phone was going for at least KES 88k. That difference alone could actually get you another smartphone.

As much as the prices always seem to get higher, the rates do vary for different brands and models. Apple’s iPhones though, do always seem to cost way too high compared to their launch prices.

So, once you consider that theory, you already do not need rocket science to realise that the iPhone SE 2nd generation won’t be as cheap as you expected.

Speaking to Gadgets Africa, one of the resellers based in Nairobi did state that the lowest price for the phone’s 64GB variant would most probably be at least KES 60k.

However, you should know that some online stores like Gadgets Leo have already included the phone on their catalogue at a surprisingly affordable price. The 64GB model, for example, is priced at KES 42k even though it’s not in stock yet.

A spot check with other resellers also places the base iPhone SE at between 42k and 45k. The 128GB model is priced between 44k and 55k, with the 256GB model set to retail at between 49k and 65k. All these are speculative prices without the phones in stock and with no official communication from Apple’s official distributor in the country.

In reality, the smartphone is expected to officially sell through Safaricom and the likes of iSalute in Kenya at about KES 70k. So, yeah, you might want to top up to that KES 40k that you had planned to use on the phone.