Angolan operator Unitel is offering discounts of up to 67% on selected 4G mobile phones until 28 February. Qualifying devices include 4G phones from Alcatel, ZTE, Nokia, Sunmax, and the Samsung Galaxy A2 Core, Galaxy A12, Galaxy S20 FE or Galaxy Z Flip 3.

Tarifica’s Take

With this very steep discount of 4G smartphones, it appears likely that Unitel is trying to liquidate its remaining 4G smartphone inventory to make room for more 5G devices. Further, this move signals that Unitel is seeing very limited demand domestically for 4G phones.

Yet beyond this specific insight regarding this Angolan operator, this decision also has implications for the global market as well. Mobile providers in developed economies typically view areas like Angola as markets to resell outdated devices. If these areas have become firmly focused on 5G, then this indicates that there is essentially no remaining demand anywhere.

The bottom line: if a consumer is going to buy a new phone, they are going to demand that it is a 5G device. This is likely the case even in markets where 5G infrastructure is nascent, since 5G phones are backward-compatible with 4G networks.