WhatsApp Plus is Meta's optional paid tier for personal WhatsApp Messenger. Kenyan rollout reporting has shown KSh 119 a month, while ordinary messages, calls and encryption remain free.
tecMAMBO is a technology publication in Nairobi, Kenya covering tech news, analysis, and plain-English explainers for Kenya, Africa, and readers everywhere.
Three ways in
MAMBO Explains + Glossary
MAMBO ExplainsWhatsApp Plus is Meta's optional paid tier for personal WhatsApp Messenger. Kenyan users have seen pricing around KSh 119 a month, with extra chat pins, themes, icons, ringtones and stickers while core messaging remains free.
MAMBO ExplainsThe next fraud problem is not simply better phishing copy. Autonomous agents could make social engineering cheaper to run at enormous scale, forcing financial institutions to automate defence too.
MAMBO ExplainsA Kenyan privacy ruling attracting renewed attention shows that non-consensual sharing of intimate images can produce serious constitutional and financial consequences.
Newsletter
One clear email a week: the useful launches, the jargon decoded, and what is worth your money.
Smartphones
Should you care?Google's Pixel 11 family is official, bringing Tensor G6, brighter displays, new camera hardware, Proactive Assistance, Qi2.2 charging and the return of notification lights through HiLight.
MAMBO TakeIndia proposes extending tax exemptions for foreign electronics suppliers to 2041 as it scales smartphone, laptop, tablet and wearable manufacturing.
Should you care?
Should you care?Google has revived the simple physical gesture behind Android Beam, but this time Quick Share provides the fast transfer system underneath it.
Should you care?Google's Pixel 11 family is official, bringing Tensor G6, brighter displays, new camera hardware, Proactive Assistance, Qi2.2 charging and the return of notification lights through HiLight.
Should you care?DJI confirms an August 13 launch for Osmo 360 II. Reports point to a larger battery and 8K60 video, but final specifications remain unannounced.
EVs & Mobility
MAMBO ExplainsNIO's new station can hold more batteries and complete a swap in under two minutes, but the model remains expensive and difficult to standardise.
MAMBO TakeThe G9L is not competing only on range and acceleration. It is selling the cabin as a mobile living room, office and rest space.
Region layer
MAMBO ExplainsWhatsApp Plus is Meta's optional paid tier for personal WhatsApp Messenger. Kenyan users have seen pricing around KSh 119 a month, with extra chat pins, themes, icons, ringtones and stickers while core messaging remains free.
BusinessSafaricom's appointment of two senior Vodacom executives is more than a routine board refresh. It shows how the telco's new majority ownership is beginning to shape governance.
Wallet Watch
Wallet WatchFor a lot of people, the free tiers are already enough, but daily users may benefit from a cheap mid-tier.
Business
BusinessSafaricom's appointment of two senior Vodacom executives is more than a routine board refresh. It shows how the telco's new majority ownership is beginning to shape governance.
BusinessUber's 14.8 billion dollar acquisition of Glovo parent Delivery Hero faces antitrust scrutiny across Kenya, Nigeria, and North Africa, where it would merge the top delivery rivals.
MAMBO vs Real Life
MAMBO vs Real LifeElectric motorbikes are a practical mobility story: battery swaps, charging access, repair networks, and daily earnings all matter more than hype.
AI
Should you care?Google's Pixel 11 family is official, bringing Tensor G6, brighter displays, new camera hardware, Proactive Assistance, Qi2.2 charging and the return of notification lights through HiLight.
MAMBO TakeApple appears to be spreading sensing across glasses and earbuds, but privacy, battery life and clinical credibility will determine whether it works.
In case you missed it
MAMBO ExplainsWhatsApp Plus is Meta's optional paid tier for personal WhatsApp Messenger. Kenyan users have seen pricing around KSh 119 a month, with extra chat pins, themes, icons, ringtones and stickers while core messaging remains free.
MAMBO TakeTikTok's latest creator tools are less about viral effects and more about operations, from organising business leads in DMs to turning original music into a LIVE experience.
MAMBO ExplainsThe next fraud problem is not simply better phishing copy. Autonomous agents could make social engineering cheaper to run at enormous scale, forcing financial institutions to automate defence too.
