![]() ![]() For the sequel, it’s been replaced with a near-vanilla version of Android 4.3 with a smattering of MTN branded bloatware. Gone is that ghastly custom skin that MTN threw over the beautiful Android OS in the original Steppa. Smaller than expected RAM capacity aside it’s truly remarkable to see how much can be crammed into a R1 000 phone in terms of sheer hardware power, especially when you look at how much MTN and Qualcomm have managed to get done in just a year. That allows the phone and the included charger to regulate the flow of electricity into the battery, optimising how fast it recharges to get more battery life from less time plugged. It has a 4inch display with a 480×800 resolution and is kept alive by a 1 500mAh battery which comes with the first generation of Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology. There is 4GB of internal storage – a four-fold increase in capacity from its predecessor – which can be expanded with a microSD card to accommodate media files as well as a 5megapixel camera at the back and a VGA front facing camera. The MTN Steppa 2 runs on budget smartphone hardware of that there can be no doubt, however, what passes for budget hardware these days is vastly different to just 12 months ago.Ī dual core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor with 512MB of RAM is responsible for running the show and, while it would have been nice to see an increase in the memory size from the original Steppa but there were seldom times where the OS lagged substantially to justify the extra expense it would have incurred. It’s definitely a backwards step from where Android is currently heading and makes for a slightly less useful smartphone. ![]() The capacitive buttons underneath the display are of the old Android variation with ‘home’ and ‘back’ joined by a ‘menu’ button instead of an app switcher which needs to be activated by double tapping home. The curved edges lend to a very comfortable grip and the plastic makes for a rather grippy hold that should limit the number of times the Steppa hits the floor. Roll the calendar forward another 12 months and MTN and Qualcomm are back with the Steppa 2, a smartphone with vastly better specification but a price that has doubled in the time since to accommodate the new found hardware prowess.Īre the changes enough to justify the steep price increase? Is this the best budget smartphone you can buy at the moment? Will there be enough stock to satisfy the market? All these answers, and some more, can be yours for the low, low price of just scrolling down to read on.Īs uninspiring as the Steppa 2 originally appears, it’s actually rather pleasant once you get it in hand. It was so good in fact that MTN completely sold out of its entire stock of 200 000 Steppas in a few short months leaving some customers confused as to where the phone had gone. At just R499 it was the first sub $50 smartphone we had ever seen and for the price it was a lot of smartphone. The original MTN Steppa was 2013’s surprise smartphone package. ![]()
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