ICT Minister, Baryomunsi Launches Mione’s First-ever Assembled Smartphones

The Minister of ICT and National Guidance; Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, and the State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives; Hon. David Bahati on Tuesday at Four Points by Sheraton launched Mione’s first-ever assembled smartphones in Uganda. The smartphones branded U1 and Joy 9 were assembled at the company’s assembling plant in Mbale City and will increase the penetration of smartphones in Uganda.

Ben Yu; Mione Brand Representative in Uganda while briefing the press appreciated the immense support that the government has rendered to Mione to establish a phone factory in Uganda. Yu said the launch of the “high-quality and pocket-friendly” smartphones is a big step towards supporting the government’s vision of empowering millions of Ugandans to embrace technology and digitalization.

“These devices are a culmination of extensive research, pioneering technology, and a deep understanding of the evolving needs of our users,” said Yu.

Baryomunsi appreciated the innovations being made by Mione and expressed his delight at the impact such milestones are making on the Ugandan digital growth picture by global standards — emphasizing the government’s eagerness to continue supporting such innovations.

“Let me appreciate the growing friendship Uganda and China share, which has given birth to so many market innovations like the phones being launched today,” said Baryomunsi. “These strides symbolize the growing spirit of what a partnership between the countries can do and also how strategic partnerships towards a common goal can be very powerful.”

He further added, “This innovation shows how much our country is willing to embrace what is revolutionary and bring development closer to its people — and while we pursue excellence in innovation, I urge innovators to look at this as an inspiration that they too can create work that will change the world because our end goal is to view Uganda from the world spectrums as a beam that lights technology intelligence which will bring in more investments.”

Shedding more light on Baryomunsi’s remarks, Bahati said, “Let us appreciate the efforts of investors like Mione who have chosen us as their home for business in Africa, by buying the products they introduce.”

Bahati praised the work done by Mione as well as for choosing Uganda as their country of choice to showcase creative and strong transformations in the world of science. He urged Ugandans to embrace Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) and Buy Africa Build Africa (BABA) by buying the Mione smartphones.

Bahati appaluded all the investors that have chosen to work with Uganda stating, “The belief investors have in us is what inspires us to keep doing better, and we as the government are fully committed to supporting anything that grows what science and technology we create here.”

U1, and Joy 9 — features, price, and availability

According to Yu, the U1 is a testament to Mione’s commitment to affordability without compromising on quality. He explains that the U1 is a smartphone that elevates and empowers users with essential smart features and functions giving them a new experience of connectivity, a new way to capture and celebrate the fun world around them and share with friends and family.

On the other hand, he says the Joy 9 is designed to offer an immersive user experience, unparalleled performance, and a stunning stylish design that gives users confidence and pride.

Both phones come with a 6.82 HD+ punch-hole display, a 5,000mAh battery, and unlike their similarities, the U1 comes with 12GB RAM, 256GB onboard storage, and is powered by a Helio G85 MediaTek chipset while the Joy 9 comes with 8GB RAM, 128GB onboard storage, and is powered by a T606 chip.

Camera-wise, the U1 boasts a 108MP+VGA AI dual rear camera while the Joy 9 has a 50MP+VGA AI trio rear camera.

Both phones are now available for purchase at all the Mione outlets and authorized mobile phone outlets across Uganda. The Mione U1 is priced at UGX520,000 while the Mione Joy 9 is priced at UGX399,000.

Notably, Mione has also assembled feature phones branded AB1, AB3, and AB6 models, and over the last year, the company sold over 500,000 of the feature phones.

“It gives me great pleasure to announce that Mione last year achieved a remarkable milestone of half a million sales in the market,” said Yu. “This achievement is a testament to the trust and loyalty that our customers, partners, and stakeholders have placed in us. We are truly grateful for your unwavering support.”

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with the market prices of the phone. The prices are issued by Mione.