Smart launches BlackBerry Lite Bundles

MANILA, Philippines - With more mobile subscribers switching to BlackBerry smartphones, leading wireless services provider Smart Communications launched yesterday BlackBerry Lite Bundles, a suite of affordable and unlimited ‘sachet’-style offers for individuals using the device.

Smart was also the first mobile operator in the Philippines, a predominantly prepaid market, to offer the powerful BlackBerry solution on a prepaid and flat-rate basis, which it called BlackBerry Unlimited Data Plan, late last year.

“Through our Blackberry Lite Bundles, we are enabling Smart subscribers to customize and choose the BlackBerry data plan which best suits their lifestyle, preference, and budget,” Smart wireless consumer division head Danilo Mojica said.

The BlackBerry Lite Bundles come in two variants. For users that enjoy a lot of social networking while on-the-go, the BlackBerry Lite Social Bundle offers ‘unli’ access to Blackberry social networking apps such as Twitter and Facebook and instant messaging applications made specifically for Blackberry handsets, including Blackberry’s own ‘BlackBerry Messenger’ or BBM, at the lowest-ever rate of P650 per month. 

For users that need to access their emails and prefer to have them “pushed” to their handsets while on-the-go, the BlackBerry Lite Email Bundle offers unli access to email and instant messaging via Blackberry applications, including BBM, also at P650 per month.

Both Lite Bundles are also available at P35 per day and open to all Smart subscribers using a Blackberry handset, prepaid or postpaid.

“These offers are meant to put the BlackBerry experience within reach of more individuals, enabling consumers beyond the corporate market to fully enjoy and take advantage of the advanced features offered by BlackBerry smartphones,” Mojica added.

For users that prefer to have the complete BlackBerry experience, the BlackBerry Unlimited Data Plan launched by Smart last year is still available — offering unli access to email, instant messaging, social networking, and browsing, and available to both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. These plans start at as low as P50 per day, P300 for seven days, or P1,200 for 30 days.

“We are excited to put the BlackBerry experience and a wide range of mobile Internet services — from business to entertainment — within reach of our subscribers, at the least cost. This strengthens our ‘Internet for All’ advocacy of bringing the benefits of the Internet to more people,” Mojica emphasized.

Smart subscribers using any BlackBerry smartphone can avail of any of the BlackBerry data simply by texting BB HELP to 2207 to get subscription instructions for free.

Subscription fees will be charged on top of a postpaid subscriber’s monthly service fee, while for prepaid subscribers, the service fee will be deducted direct from subscriber’s load. Prepaid subscribers will need to maintain a minimum of P1 in their account balance while subscribed to the service.