Hi I’m Torsten Herbst and I’m creating the new Esoko app for Android. I’m writing today to share a little bit about Android itself, and about why Esoko is (and everyone else should be) watching out for this next wave in mobile.
As an open source operating system Android is available to any phone manufacturer for free, which has resulted in rapid adoption, innovation and fierce competition. There are already new Android phones out in Kenya for $100 and prices are coming down fast. So just as mobile phones came down in price over the last few years to be affordable for farmers in Africa, so will the new Android devices today. And as the number one selling smartphone operating system it will only be a matter of time before Android phones become available to traders and farmers across Africa at affordable prices.
Esoko & Android
With Esoko on Android you can browse the latest Esoko market prices on your phone, compare prices visually on a map and get in touch with Esoko sellers and buyers with the click of a button. You can be alerted whenever somebody posts an offer to sell maize in your location, you can see the latest market prices and charts in your area as soon as they become available, and you can upload prices, stock, offers, harvest information (this list is endless) into Esoko using the simple touchscreen interface.
