MANILA, Philippines - Mobile Internet usage in the Philippines is growing rapidly, due to a surge in attractive smartphone offers bundled with mobile data, a top telecom executive said.
First quarter mobile Internet revenues of leading wireless operator Smart Communications, for example, rose 71 percent, as reported by parent company Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).
According to Smart chief wireless advisor Orlando Vea, the explosive increase in mobile Internet usage among Smart’s subscribers was driven in the first quarter mainly by a “solid portfolio of postpaid data plans bundled with best-in-class smartphones”.
Smart launched in the first quarter its limited-edition Data Plan 1000, which bundled free calls, SMS and mobile Internet, with a choice from a slew of ‘power’ smartphones from all the top manufacturers, at discounted and amortized prices.
These developments follow the rapid growth of the worldwide smartphone market.
According to the International Data Corp. (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker released last week, the worldwide smartphone market grew 42.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2012.
The report also cited manufacturers such as Samsung, Apple, Nokia, Research in Motion, and HTC shipping an estimated 144.9 million smartphones just within the period.
Banking on the massive popularity of smartphones, Smart is further stepping up efforts to promote smartphone adoption and usage. The telco leader is set to offer the hotly-anticipated, third-generation Samsung Galaxy S III.
Samsung, which moved 42.2 million smartphones and made a new record for the most number of smartphones shipped in a single quarter according to the IDC report, pumped the Galaxy S III’s superior hardware with intuitive technology.
It features a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-MP camera and a 1.9-MP front camera, and a host of other features, powered by a snappy Quad Core Processor and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) for its OS.
Among its unique features are ‘Smart Stay’, which tracks the user’s eyes, so as long as they are looking at it, the display won’t dim or turn off. Another feature is called ‘Pop Up Play’, which allows the user to play stored videos in a window on any homescreen, while they are writing a text message, email, playing games or while using virtually any other mobile application.
The Samsung Galaxy S III will be available from Smart bundled with Unli Data Plans that all come with unlimited mobile Internet, plus free SMS and call minutes. The device will also be available under Smart’s All-In Plans. Pre-orders will be accepted starting May 23, 2012, via www.smart.com.ph/galaxys3.
“We are very excited that Smart subscribers will be among the first to enjoy our flagship device Samsung Galaxy S III, and benefit greatlyfrom its superior hardware and enhanced smartphone usability,” according to Michael Cheon, business advisor for Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp.
With advanced, always-connected smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S III rapidly gaining popularity among Filipino users, Smart expectsmobile Internet to remain a bright spot for the company.
“As smartphones become more pervasive and easier to use, more Filipinos will use it to access the Internet. But the only way to truly maximize the features of all these great smartphones is to use them on a strong and reliable network.