If you’ve been eagerly anticipating Samsung’s latest, curvaceous smartphone, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ that was unveiled in New York last month alongside the forthcoming Galaxy Note 5, now’s the time to pop into your nearest Vodacom outlet or visit its website and say goodbye to a healthy bundle of your hard-earned money (or not-so hard earned, we don’t presume to know that sort of thing about you, dear reader… the NSA we ain’t).
As part of its monthly device update the operator sends to the media, Vodacom has confirmed the Galaxy S6 Edge+ costs R14,879 on prepaid and is available in black or gold. We’re awaiting details from Vodacom as to whether, as we fear, that price is for the 32GB version, and whether or not the operator plans to stock other variants. With Samsung having dispensed with a microSD card slot in its latest devices internal storage is suddenly something that matters again.
[UPDATE: Vodacom’s confirmed the price applies to the 32GB version of the S6 Edge+, no word on whether or not it will carry the other variants, though.]
The operator has also confirmed the Galaxy Note 5 will be available later this year. Samsung tells us the stylus-touting phablet will likely land on local shores come November, but Vodacom is unable to give us a firm date at this stage.
For those who favour Samsung’s arch rival’s offerings, meanwhile, the LG G4 Beat handset is also now locally available and will set you back R5,149 if you buy it outright. Available in gold or silver, the LG G4 Beat is a cheaper and somewhat pared-down version of the flagship G4. It’s got a smaller, 5.2-inch HD display (compared to the G4’s 5.5-inch, 2K offering), 1.5GB of RAM (as opposed to the G4’s 3GB), a slower processor, less internal storage and a 2,300Ah battery (the G4’s battery is rated for 3,000mAh).
Vodacom’s also confirmed that Huawei’s Mate S phablet will be joining its handset lineup later this year, along with Sony’s recently announced Z5 and Z5 Compact. There’s no mention yet on pricing, or whether or not Vodacom will carry the Z5 Premium, Sony’s phablet with a 4K display.
