Is the Era of Cheap Smartphones Over in Nigeria? What ₦100,000 to ₦300,000 Now Buys

• Nigerians face rising smartphone prices as global market shipments decline sharply
• Affordable smartphones are becoming scarce, pushing many buyers towards ₦150,000 to ₦300,000 options
• Manufacturers pass on increased memory costs, impacting local pricing and choices

Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.

For years, Nigerians have been able to buy reasonably capable smartphones without spending a fortune. Brands such as Tecno, Infinix, itel and Redmi helped make smartphones accessible to students, workers, small-business owners and first-time buyers.

That affordability is now under serious pressure.

Technology market research and intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC) says the global smartphone market is entering a period in which sharply higher prices will accompany falling shipments, according to a report by MyBroadband.

IDC forecasts worldwide smartphone shipments will fall 16.7% in 2026 to just over 1 billion units, while the total value of the market is expected to rise 6.3% to $613 billion.

The reason is simple: consumers are paying more for fewer devices.

IDC says the average selling price of a smartphone is expected to reach $581 in 2026, a 27.6% increase in a single year. Rising DRAM and NAND memory costs are putting particular pressure on manufacturers, especially those operating at the budget end of the market.

For Nigerians, this global squeeze could translate into a very familiar problem: the ₦100,000 smartphone may no longer offer what it used to.

What ₦100,000 gets you in Nigeria

The entry-level market has not disappeared, but buyers have to compromise more.

Current Nigerian listings show phones such as the itel A100C selling from roughly ₦105,000, while some configurations of the A100 and A100C sit around ₦115,000 to ₦150,000. These devices typically focus on essentials such as 4G connectivity, large batteries and modest displays rather than premium cameras or high-end processors.

Redmi remains another option around this price point. Current 2026 price guides put models such as the Redmi 14C and Redmi 13C around the ₦110,000 to ₦125,000 starting range, although actual retail prices vary by configuration and seller.

At this level, buyers should expect basic performance, limited RAM and storage on some variants, LCDs and cameras designed mainly for everyday photography.

The phone will handle WhatsApp, social media, calls, streaming and other everyday tasks, but buyers should not expect flagship-like performance.

₦150,000 to ₦200,000 is becoming the new budget sweet spot

This is where the Nigerian market becomes more interesting.

Infinix’s Smart and Hot ranges currently occupy much of this territory. Listings show the Infinix Smart 20 around ₦160,000 to ₦195,000, while the Hot 60i is available around ₦195,000 to ₦200,000 depending on the seller and configuration.

itel is also moving beyond its traditional ultra-budget image. The itel City 200 can be found around ₦157,000 to ₦187,000, while the itel Power 80 sits around ₦200,000 to ₦230,000 in current listings.

For buyers with ₦150,000 to ₦200,000, the expectation should now be a more capable everyday phone, potentially with 128GB storage, 4GB RAM or expandable memory, a large battery and a better display.

₦200,000 to ₦300,000: better phones, but not necessarily cheap

The ₦200,000 to ₦300,000 bracket is increasingly becoming the territory for Nigerians who want a phone that can comfortably last for several years.

Tecno’s Spark range is a major player. Current listings show the Tecno Spark 40 around ₦193,000, while the Spark 50 is listed around ₦217,000 to ₦250,000 depending on configuration and seller.

Infinix’s Hot range is similarly positioned. The Hot 60i is around ₦200,000, while the Hot 70 appears around ₦230,000 to ₦270,000 for some 128GB configurations.

Redmi also competes strongly in this bracket. Current listings put the Redmi 13 around ₦260,000, while the Redmi 15C can reach roughly ₦250,000 depending on configuration and seller.

At this price, buyers should increasingly expect larger storage, better displays, stronger processors, improved cameras, bigger batteries and faster charging.

Why Nigerians should expect higher prices

IDC says the problem is not simply manufacturers deciding to make phones more expensive.

Memory prices have surged, with DRAM and NAND costs reportedly rising by more than 300% year on year. Manufacturers that previously absorbed some component increases are now passing more of those costs to consumers.

That creates a particular problem for Nigeria, where exchange-rate movements, import costs, taxes, logistics and retail margins can amplify global price increases.

The result is that a phone selling for $100 internationally does not necessarily translate neatly into a ₦100,000 device on a Nigerian shelf.

The ₦300,000 question

The biggest change may be psychological.

A few years ago, ₦300,000 could feel like a significant smartphone budget. In today’s market, it can increasingly represent the upper end of the mainstream budget segment rather than premium territory.

IDC expects the pressure on low-cost Android phones to continue, with vendors reducing some entry-level models and pushing consumers towards more expensive devices.

That does not mean Tecno, Infinix, itel or Redmi will suddenly disappear from Nigeria’s affordable-phone market.

Instead, Nigerians may get fewer genuinely cheap choices and more phones clustered between ₦150,000 and ₦300,000.

The era of the smartphone that is both extremely cheap and surprisingly capable may therefore be fading.

For Nigerian buyers, the new rule could be simple: if you want better performance, storage, camera quality and longevity, prepare to spend more.

12 cheapest smartphones you can still buy under ₦200,000

Legit.ng earlier reported that with smartphone prices continuing to rise across Nigeria, finding a reliable device without breaking the bank has become increasingly difficult.

Yet, several budget-friendly models from Samsung, Tecno, Infinix, Xiaomi, Realme, and POCO are still available for under ₦200,000.

Source: Legit.ng