032107: Low-end phones to fuel sales growth

Low-end phones to fuel sales growth

By Lenie Lectura

Reporter

THE replacement market will account for 68 percent of growth in the mobile-phone industry, Nokia Philippines country general manager William Hamilton-Whyte said in a press briefing Tuesday. The Nokia executive noted that mobile-phone users have gotten into the habit of either changing handsets within a year, or even buying a second- unit less than a year after buying their first phone. The second-hand market, he said, is the emerging mobile-phone market in the Philippines. Many of them are buying second-hand units, priced slightly lower than brand-new handsets, Hamilton-Whyte said. WILLIAM HAMILTON-WHYTE, country general manager for Nokia Philippines gestures as he states that Nokia remains the market leader in the mobile-phone industry in the Philippines. The company Tuesday introduced new mobile-phone units to the Philippine market. The new handsets carry fascinating designs and richer features that the company hopes will delight Philippine consumers. During the launch, a press briefing was also held at a hotel in Makati City. --NONIE REYES   “The turnaround [for] phones is pretty big. It is a fascinating process for consumers and also fascinating for our business. The market for second-hand phones is pretty big,” Hamilton-Whyte said at yesterday’s conference. The low-end market will continue to emerge in the country, Hamilton-Whyte said. Nokia will encourage this development by bringing low-end phones in support of consumers’ access to information through mobile- phone operators and distributors. “We will strengthen our distribution by also putting up more shops,” added Hamilton-Whyte. The Nokia executive said that new technologies and services, such as mobile television, navigation and e-mail will also spur growth in wireless communication. Nokia has yet to introduce in the country a mobile TV-enabled handset despite an announcement from Smart Communications Inc. that it has started to pilot test the service via Nokia’s N92. Commercial launch is slated in the second half of the year. “To make mobile TV service happen, we need to partner with different players. N92 will come if DVBH will be made available here,” he said. DVBH stands for digital video broadcasting handheld, a platform that delivers mobile TV service for cellular phones.  Nokia will launch this year up to 15 new mobile phones, compared to more than 30 it introduced last year. However, Whyte said not all new models will be made available in the country. Most of the models that will be introduced here are 3G-enabled handsets, he said.  “We will keep our number one position in the Philippines. We will continue to develop Nokia brand as the best preferred brand,” said Whyte. Nokia cited a study in the country which shows that wireless penetration rate last year stood at 41.6 million. This is number of Filipinos estimated to have cell phones compared to the estimated number of population. “The market will continue to grow mainly due to emerging markets,” Hamilton-Whyte said. “The strategies of the companies are also very important. What they do will [impact on] the growth.” At the briefing, the company introduced these new models: 2626, 3110, 6110, 6300, E61i, E65, E90 and N95. Nokia said it wants to reach every consumer by offering a wider portfolio of products with fascinating new designs and features that cater to specific lifestyles. http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/03212007/companies02.html