Have you noticed an odd bulge in people’s shorts around Accra? It’s likely because, like many of my friends, they’ve recently acquired a new phone. But it’s not the iPhone 6 Plus, and it’s not the Samsung Galaxy S6. It’s this thing:

I first saw this phone a few weeks ago when a friend plopped it down on our restaurant table. I initially had trouble processing what I was seeing. At a time when phone manufacturers are racing to make devices ever thinner, the sheer size of this thing is almost lewd. I made fun of him for his brick and listened disbelievingly when he said everyone had one. The phone lay forgotten as we caught up over lunch. A few days later, while walking by a colleague’s desk, I noticed a familiar black silhouette. It was the same phone. Huh. Back in front of my laptop, I fired up Gmail and clicked the first email in my inbox — a promotional message by e-commerce startup, Jumia. The featured deal? Since then, this phone keeps popping up everywhere I go. It’s obviously very popular, and it’s clearly taking off. But why? Why’re some of my most stylish, most tech-savvy friends — all of whom already own smartphones — suddenly lugging this thing around? This is what I’ve found. 1. Basic Details Here’re some basic details about the phone: Costs between 100 and 150 Ghana Cedis (about 25 to 38 USD)

Can hold up to 3 SIM Cards

Has built-in FM radio

Comes with Facebook and WhatsApp pre-installed

Doubles as a power bank to charge small electronics

LED flashlight 2. It’s All About the Power Bank One thing that quickly became clear when I spoke to people is that the number one reason they bought the phone is to use it as a power bank. Ghana is currently experiencing a severe power crisis — city-wide blackouts of 36 hours or more have become the norm in the capital, and a brisk business has grown around selling power banks, which are small portable rechargable batteries that can be used to charge small electronics such as MP3 players and, yes, phones.

It appears that the primary job that this phone is being hired to do is to serve as reserve power for people’s primary phones during the frequent blackouts. 2. It’s Being Distributed Organically, Entirely by Word of Mouth My friend Gideon found out about the phone (and its power bank feature) from Ammi, who heard about it from his mother, who had bought a bunch from her friend… Another friend commented on how it seems the phone is suddenly sprouting up in the hands of more and more people at her church. I knew word of mouth was powerful, but it takes something like this to underscore just how powerful, especially in a place like Ghana where internet penetration is still very low. The phone definitely benefits from its funky form factor. It stands out and invites conversation. “What is that thing? I keep seeing it around.” “What does it do?” “Oh cool. How much is it?” 3. A Good Home for Multiple SIM Cards Many people in Ghana own multiple SIM cards for a variety of reasons (for example, to take advantage of the various perks and promotions that the various telcos frequently run). This phone is a good home for their tier 2 and tier 3 SIM cards. It beats leaving the tiny SIM cards somewhere in your room and then misplacing it. The added benefit of having the SIM card in a phone (versus in a drawer) is that people who have your other phone numbers can still reach you, so there’s no risk of losing touch when you change your number. 4. Same Phone, Multiple (Fake) Brands? Here’re two photos of the phone. My friend acquired the left one on the street, and you can buy the one of the right on the Jumia Ghana website. Notice that the logo on the left phone is GALACE SQ, and the one of the right is X-TIGI. Otherwise they’re quite literally exactly the same phone. Which one is the authentic brand, and which one is the fake?