Egoras Technologies Ltd. and Airtel Nigeria have announced the launch of an artificial intelligence‑enabled smartphone designed to help Nigeria’s millions of micro and small medium enterprises (SMEs) overcome barriers and ensure productivity in digital commerce.
The device, called the Cube Phone, is designed to combine business‑oriented features-including free internet access for business activities, a built‑in contactless payment terminal, and a suite of AI business tools-into a single Android handset. It is set for national release on April 28 with distribution through Egoras showrooms across Nigeria.
Priced at ₦240,000 (about $150), the Cube Phone targets the country’s estimated 40 million micro and small businesses, of which fewer than 8 per cent currently accept electronic payments. High costs of standalone point‑of‑sale terminals and expensive mobile data have been cited as major obstacles to digital adoption.
“We did not set out to build a better phone. We set out to remove every obstacle between a business owner and their first digital transaction,” said Ugoji Harry, Chief Executive Officer of Egoras Technologies. “The phone is simply what it took to do that.”
Central to the offering is a zero‑rating agreement with Airtel Nigeria that eliminates data charges for all activity on the phone’s proprietary CubeOS platform, covering payments, AI consultations, and business applications. This aims to cut a typical small business owner’s monthly data spend -currently between ₦5,000 and ₦ 10,000 — to zero.
Each Cube Phone also includes 100 Cube Cards-battery‑free, near‑field communication contactless cards-that merchants can distribute to customers at no cost. Customers can then make payments using a single password without needing a smartphone or app, the company stated.
The phone’s AI Business Suite is preloaded with tools for tasks such as contract drafting, financial tracking, workflow automation, and HR support. The interface supports multiple languages, including English, Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa.
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Egoras said it is in discussions with other telecom operators, including MTN Nigeria and Globacom, to expand data zero‑rating beyond Airtel’s network, and projects deploying one million devices and 100 million Cube Cards within the first year of launch.
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