Smart debuts Netphone next week
Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) starts offering its P9,900 per unit Netphone 701 (with free Internet until year-end) next week, September 10, 2011, to bring mobile Internet to more of the country’s 30 million mobile phone users of which only 5 million regularly go online.
Smart took one year to develop the Netphone for the local market.
“Most smartphones are designed for first world users who are always connected,” explained Smart’s Head of Broadband Internet and Data Services Giovanni R. Bacareza.
“In developing countries like the Philippines, people want to pay for Internet in sachets,” he pointed out. Hence, Smart developed the Netphone to be “the marriage of web and telco.”
Introduced in Barcelona, Spain last February at the 2011 GSMA Mobile World Congress, the Netphone is an Android-compliant smartphone designed by Smart.
The Netphone 701 the first in the Netphone product line – will retail at P9,900 for a prepaid kit and will come free with postpaid plan 800.
“The Netphone will allow people without Internet-capable phones to upgrade easily and enjoy the benefits of the Internet in their hands, now,” according to Orlando B. Vea, Chief Wireless Advisor and co-founder of Smart.
The Netphone is designed to provide users ‘ including first time smartphone owners with full Internet experience in "bite-sized" amounts, primarily through SmartNet.
The suite of Smart-branded apps via SmartNet provides all users access to social networks and chatting two of the most common activities people enjoy on the Internet.
SmartNet also allows Netphone users to find contacts online, send custom messages with special effects (FX messaging), among other things.
“We have integrated into SmartNet one-touch access to the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo! Messenger, enabling its users – while on SmartNet to stay online and keep tabs on their social activities, for free. This allows our subscribers to enjoy their habit yet save their airtime load,” explained Bacareza.
The service will be free until end of 2011, afterwhich Smart will decide whether to extend it or not. This was the same business model which worked successfully for SMS, which was initially offered for free.
