Egoras, Airtel to Launch AI-Powered Smartphone Targeting Nigeria's Small Business Gap
A Lagos-based technology company is preparing to release a smartphone designed specifically for small business owners, bundled with free mobile data, a contactless payment terminal, and a suite of artificial intelligence tools — an unusual combination that its makers say addresses a persistent gap in Nigeria's digital economy.
Source: Original
Egoras Technologies Ltd., in partnership with Airtel Nigeria, will launch the Cube Phone on April 28. The device runs CubeOS, a proprietary operating system, and is priced at ₦240,000 — roughly $150 — with distribution through Egoras showrooms across the country.
The product enters a market where digital payment adoption among small businesses remains low. Fewer than 8 per cent of Nigeria's estimated 40 million micro and small enterprises currently accept any form of digital payment, according to figures cited by the company. POS terminals remain expensive for many merchants, and mobile money services require data that adds to operating costs.
The phone's central proposition is a zero-rating agreement with Airtel, which eliminates mobile data charges for all business activity conducted through CubeOS. Payments, AI tool usage, and business applications on the platform would run without data costs, daily caps, or subscription fees. Egoras’ CEO, Ugoji Harry, said the goal was practical rather than product-driven.
"We did not set out to build a better phone," Harry said.
"We set out to remove every obstacle between a business owner and their first digital transaction. The phone is simply what it took to do that."
Each device ships with 100 Cube Cards — battery-free NFC contactless cards with a ten-year lifespan — which merchants can distribute to customers. Transactions require only a password and work without an app or smartphone on the customer's side. Egoras says it projects one million devices and 100 million cards in circulation within the first year, based on a model where each cardholder who purchases their own device introduces another 100 cards into their local economy.
The AI Business Suite pre-loaded on the device includes four tools: AI Legal, which handles contracts and compliance filings in English, Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa; AI CFO, which tracks transactions and generates financial statements; AI Coder, which builds small applications from plain-language instructions; and AI HR, which handles payroll and recruitment in line with Nigerian labour law.
On the privacy side, Egoras says all data — including messages, financial records, and AI interactions — is encrypted on-device and stored on a blockchain, preventing third-party access. Airtel handles encrypted data transport but cannot view content, the company says.
Egoras has also secured the right to extend zero-rated connectivity to third-party developers building on CubeOS. The company says discussions with MTN Nigeria and Globacom over similar arrangements are at an advanced stage, though no agreements have been confirmed.
The Cube Phone is a 6.5-inch NFC-enabled Android device. More information is available at egoras.com and cubephone.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
