Samsung has launched the Galaxy A18 LTE in Kenya at KES 32,000 for the version with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. An 8GB and 256GB version follows later in the year at KES 51,600. LTE means 4G here, and the A18 is the successor to the Galaxy A17 4G. Samsung announced the phone on 15th September 2026, and the Kenyan launch adds a local price.
One thing from our September coverage needs correcting. When a Danish retailer’s listing leaked in September, we wrote that the A18 was close to identical to the A17 4G, with the same MediaTek Helio G99 chip. Samsung’s own announcement says the A18 has an Exynos 1610, Samsung’s in-house chip. We haven’t tested whether the Exynos 1610 is faster than the Helio G99.
Three things do improve:
- The dust rating goes from IP54 to IP64, which means no dust gets in at all, and water protection stays at splashes.
- The phone starts on Android 17 with One UI 9, where the A17 4G started on Android 15 with One UI 7.
- Samsung’s South African page for the A18 lists security updates until 31st October 2032, 13 months past the 30th September 2031 on its page for the A17.
One thing gets worse. The A17’s 50MP main camera has optical image stabilisation, or OIS, which moves the lens to cancel out hand shake and mostly helps in low light and video. The A17’s page says it has OIS and the A18’s page says it doesn’t. The phone is also 0.2mm thicker and 6g heavier, at 196g against 190g. The main specs otherwise match: the 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen at 90Hz, the 5,000mAh battery with 25W charging, the 5MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro cameras and the 13MP selfie camera. So the KES 32,000 buys dust sealing, newer software and a later update date, and costs you the stabilised camera.
Galaxy A18 LTE vs Galaxy A17 4G
| Galaxy A18 LTE | Galaxy A17 4G | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6.7-inch Super AMOLED, 1080 x 2340, up to 90Hz | 6.7-inch Super AMOLED, 1080 x 2340, 90Hz |
| Processor | Exynos 1610 | MediaTek Helio G99 |
| RAM and storage | 4GB and 128GB; 8GB and 256GB to follow | 4GB and 128GB |
| Storage expansion | microSD up to 2TB, shares the second SIM slot | microSD up to 2TB, shares the second SIM slot |
| Rear cameras | 50MP main (no OIS), 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro | 50MP main (OIS), 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro |
| Selfie camera | 13MP | 13MP |
| Video | Up to 1080p at 30fps | Up to 1080p at 30fps |
| Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 25W | 5,000mAh, 25W |
| Dust and water | IP64 | IP54 |
| Size | 164.4 x 77.9 x 7.7mm | 164.4 x 77.9 x 7.5mm |
| Weight | 196g | 190g |
| Software at launch | Android 17, One UI 9 | Android 15, One UI 7 |
| Updates promised | Six Android upgrades, six years of security updates | Six Android upgrades, six years of security updates |
| Security updates until | 31st October 2032 | 30th September 2031 |
| Connectivity | Dual nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB-C 2.0 | Dual nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB-C 2.0 |
| Headphone socket | None listed | None listed |
| Charger in the box | No (per Samsung South Africa) | No (per Samsung South Africa) |
| Price in Kenya | KES 32,000 for 4GB and 128GB (Samsung’s launch price) | KES 20,800 for 4GB and 128GB (Samsung’s launch price, September 2025) |
Samsung’s own Kenyan launch price for the A17 a year ago was KES 20,800 for 4GB and 128GB, when it went on sale on 22nd September 2025. The A18 is KES 11,200, or 54%, above it. The Galaxy A08, which launched alongside it, costs KES 8,700 less than the A18 at KES 23,300 for 4GB and 64GB, and its 6GB and 128GB version at KES 33,100 would cost KES 1,100 more than the A18.
In September we said the A18 would only matter if it cost about the same as the A17. At Samsung’s price it doesn’t.
Retailers are cheaper. Avechi, a Nairobi shop, lists the A18 4G with 4GB and 128GB at KES 26,399, KES 5,600 below Samsung’s price, and a 4GB and 64GB version at KES 21,999. It lists the A08 at KES 17,999 for 4GB and 64GB against Samsung’s KES 23,300. Brandcart, Samsung’s official online store partner, lists the A17 5G with 4GB and 128GB at KES 26,995, which is about KES 5,000 below Samsung’s price for the A18, and it’s a 5G phone. Avechi’s pages say the phones carry a one-year warranty and don’t say whether Samsung East Africa backs it, so ask before you buy. At KES 26,399 the A18 is KES 5,600 above Samsung’s launch price for the A17, which makes it a closer call if the warranty is sorted.
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