Since the announcement of the Hypro phone, media reported that Hypro is the first-ever made in Sri Lanka smartphone. However, there are some discussions in social media and forums. The debate was pointing another brand. Further, it said there was a first Sri Lankan made phone before the Hypro. Further, they named that first “made in Sri Lanka” phone was Octa.
Sri Lankan company Hypro Holdings private limited signed a memorandum with a South Korean Lodule International Ltd to assemble and manufacture cellphones in Sri Lanka. Hypro phone would be on the market by December 2021 and it may launch in Christmas. The smartphone would use 4G technology and it would cost about Rs. 30,000.
If you look back, there is a Sri Lankan phone with the name, Octa. The Octa says “Octa is a brand of smart communication devices, including mobile phones and tablets, designed and manufactured in Sri Lanka”. It is a sub-brand of EWIS, E-W Information Systems Limited. If you visit the website buyewis.lk, you can buy OCTA Lite for 2,000.00 Sri Lankan rupees. Note, the OCTA Lite is not a smartphone. Unfortunately, Octa phones are not in the market, and octa.lk website also is not alive, but still you can explore more about Octa phones via its Instagram and Facebook pages.
However, you can find more about octa.lk via a web archive which has records from 2016 to 2019. The Octa says “OCTA product range is also produced in our local production plant, giving our dealer network a unique advantage of having unrestricted access to spare parts, ensuring quality aftercare service and solutions for our consumers and creating an extra edge for our one-to-one warranty offer and island wide coverage”.
There are some Octa smartphones, keypad phones, tablets, etc. Notability, Octa Jazz (EWIS-E43), Octa Nero and Octa Buddy were Sri Lankan phones.
Note:
Octa phone and forthcoming Hypro phone are not completely dependent on domestic technology and manufacture. It is clear that Hypro relies on South Korean. Octa’s full details are not available unless EWIS would reveal them. The question is that are Octa and Hypro purely made in Sri Lankan smartphones?
