The gobii IVP smartphone is the latest low-cost handset from Naspers-owned e-retailer Kalahari.com. The gobii IVP joins the gobii tablet and eReader products, which were launched late last year.

The gobii IVP is an unassuming little smartphone and looks very generic by today’s standards. But it offers a range of features that will entice smartphone newcomers and consumers on a budget.

At a meaty 156g, the gobii IVP features an all-black body with a removable back cover that has a soft rubber grip making it feel really comfortable to hold.

There is a volume rocker on the left-hand side of the phone, while the power button is situated on the left. The 3,5mm audio jack has found a spot at the top and the micro-USB port can be found at the bottom. Removing the back cover reveals a decidedly average 1 700mAh removable battery.

The gobii IVP comes with a fairly comprehensive manual that covers everything from basic phone use to more complex topics such as data management — perfect for first-time smartphone users who might feel a little intimidated. The box also includes a set of earphones, a faux leather pouch and the usual combination of USB power adapter and charging cable.

At the heart of the gobii IVP, which runs the now-ageing Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), is a quad-core Cortex A9 processor clocked at 1,2GHz. The 1GB of RAM will suffice for most usage scenarios. The phone’s isn’t exactly snappy, but it’s not a dog when it comes to performance.

There is 8GB of storage capacity, which can be expanded by way of a microSD card up to 32GB.

One of the most notable features is the phone’s dual Sim slots, allowing users to make use of two networks or those wanting a data Sim and a voice Sim on the same device to save costs. Considering that Kalahari also includes a 200MB/month Cell C Sim card — valid for a year — users will be able to access the data immediately without losing access to their phone number on their original Sim card.

The 4,5-inch LCD has a screen resolution of 480×854 pixels. Although this seems low, the LCD display actually looks quite good. It’s not Galaxy S5 or iPhone 5s quality, but it’s quite acceptable for the price.

Users who like to take snaps with their smartphone will appreciate the 5-megapixel rear camera, while the front facing camera offers a terrible resolution of just 0,3 megapixels. According to Kalahari, images are enhanced with upscaling technology, but we were not too impressed with this. The upscaling works okay for photos that stay on the smartphone or are shared with social networks but won’t improve the quality of prints. For most usage scenarios, the camera works well enough, although it struggles in low light conditions.

The gobii IVP also supports a number of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth and 3G. Another important feature for entry-level smartphones in South Africa is an integrated FM tuner.

Kalahari, thankfully, hasn’t messed too much with Android on the gobii IVP. It does, however, bundle a number of popular Android apps, including Facebook, Twitter, WeChat (not surprising given the Naspers link), MyEdit (Naspers again) and Skype. The Kalahari online store and eReader apps are also bundled.

The gobii IVP is a capable smartphone that could also find favour with users who want an inexpensive second smartphone. Consumers who use it with a work and private Sim card will appreciate a feature allowing them to turn one of the Sim cards off after hours.