MANILA-Philippines mobile carrier Smart Communications is interested in Apple's immensely popular iPhone, but has remained mum on plans to negotiate with Apple on a possible distribution deal in the country.
In an interview with ZDNet Asia, Smart Communications spokesperson and public affairs chief Mon Isberto said the carrier is interested in the iPhone "because of the global popularity" that the gadget now enjoys.
However, Isberto said Smart cannot "confirm nor deny" if it is in talks with iPhone creator Apple on a distribution deal.
Smart's chief rival, Globe Telecom, earlier launched the iPhone 3G and is currently the exclusive carrier for the handset in the Philippines.
"SingTel was able to get a regional license for the iPhone," Isberto said, adding that it was only natural for Globe to launch the iPhone in the Asia-Pacific region via its affiliates.
Globe is a SingTel associate, while PLDT, the parent company of Smart, is partly owned by Japanese giant NTT DoCoMo.
In August, Globe launched the iPhone 3G amid criticisms of high prices for the handset. The company received much flak after it unveiled that the 8GB version of the Apple phone would be sold at 41,899 pesos (US$926), while the 16GB model will be available for 43,799 pesos (US$968).
Globe eventually released a statement saying it would lower the prices of the iPhone 3G models by 10 percent, prior to the product's official Philippines release on Aug. 22.
The carrier noted that the price reductions would also be available to subscribers who placed order reservations for the phone.
Mobile customers have to sign up for a subscription plan of 1,599 pesos (US$35) per month, and the Philippine carrier will offer a rebate of 15,100 pesos (US$332) for the smaller capacity model and 20,600 pesos (US$453) for the 16GB phone.
Globe did not disclose the initial sales volume.
Meanwhile, Isberto of Smart said the telco will focus on a slew of new services that the company will be rolling out on a commercial basis soon.
He said Smart is poised to launch "Uzzap", an application allowing mobile users to integrate instant messaging offerings via their mobile phones.
According to Smart, Uzzap is the country's first flat-rate, all-in-one, unlimited messaging service. It is an Internet protocol (IP)-based, downloadable application which allows users to merge several messaging services such as SMS, instant messaging and e-mail into their mobile phone.
Aside from integrating these services, Uzzap also allows users to join common-interest chatrooms, set up chat conferences and use "extended messaging", or connect with other Uzzap users, Smart said.
Joel D. Pinaroc is a freelance IT writer based in the Philippines.
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distribute Iphone 3G already. i'm seriously thinking of switching to globe just because of Iphone.
Posted by soulshredder on Monday, September 29 2008 08:51 AM