So as early as December last year, we got a tip letting us know Telecel had launched an online store called Telecel Play. Brilliant we, finally some local portal to buy locally relevant digital content and who knows, maybe even some physical goods. Brilliant, so lets look at the store. Nothing.
Despite advising subscribers via SMS that there was a store, Telecel, it appears wasn’t ready at all for launch. The Telecel Play store (after Google Play we guess), which is supposed to be available on telecelplay.telecel.co.zw just shows a blank screen.
Why they would do this we have no idea, but we still wait anxiously. We’re guessing they are busy doing last minute stuff to launch Telecash. Or wait, maybe paying for stuff in the store needs Telecash. Wishful thinking I guess!
If you have had the opportunity to check it out while it was working, please comment with a screenshot below so we all know what it looks like.
Update: From the comments below and some social media responses to the article, we’ve since learnt that the app is actually a mobile only app, as in it actually has to be a mobile phone and not a desktop. We however couldn’t get it to run on the Chrome Browser app on a tablet or the Opera Browser (not mini) on an Android device. It worked fine though on other browsers: Opera Mini, Chrome on Smartphone, Default Android browser etc…
In terms of how it works, there’s basically tones, wallpapers and other such mobile trivials, which can be hugely popular though with some subscribers. We’re guessing they’ll introduce more digital products or even physical ones down the road who knows. We’ll cover more in a separate article.
Here’s a screenshot we took:
Share
Home
11 comments
I cannot load a screenshot my browser will not allow me but check a mobile phone screen grab here http://zimsmartphones.com/blog/2013/12/31/telecel-soars-to-greater-heights-launches-zim-first-ever-play-store-telecel-play/
I actually downloaded wallpapers and themes from Telecel play store.I think its a good move we need that initiative in the Telecoms industry.
Use your mobile browser
So let me get this straight, Telecel launches an online store and all they have are wallpapers? Wallpapers seriously?
Do people actually buy wallpapers these days? Its almost like saying people should pay for searching on Google with cold hard cash. Not gonna work. They should start such an initiative with meaningful digital or physical products otherwise they are just shooting in the dark hoping to hit something.
And the site does not work on desktop for some reason. It only works properly or opens if you use your mobile phone. And no i am not buying some silly wallpaper for US$0.20, i refuse firmly.
As has been established it’s accessible on mobile phones. The content currently available is pretty lame considering how much more is readily available for free elsewhere.
The site is not bad, but there is no way I’m paying a single cent to download a ruddy wallpaper they probably curated from a free online gallery. If paying in the Telecel Play store gave me “free” bandwidth for downloading apps from play then I might be interested. (Also assuming I couldn’t wait to get home to my wifi connection.)
It works on a mobile device .. I thought you were a technology website but clearly u are lost
Somehow we are supposed to guess this by loading the blank screen. It is standard practice to give out a user readable message in the event of an error.
I think what he/she is trying to say is that you could have researched better. Testing from a single device or from a single browser and then blogging about it is somewhat premature. More investigation ought to be done before you publish some of these scathing articles.
well they should write something if the site is accessed on a non-supported platform. that’s what professionals do.
I guess they sort wanted to be the first so as to stop other competitors from launching the product
I totally love how telecel marketing employees are commenting here! Dude, how am I supposed to know I must use my mobile to view? That’s a fail – once again by Telecel….shame!