Smart unravels more LTE-capable smartphones

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc., the mobile service unit of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), is bringing in more smartphones aside from the much anticipated iPhone5 of Apple Inc.

Smart has started accepting orders for the country’s first LTE (Long Term Evolution) handsets – the Sony Xperia V and the ZTE T82 last Friday.

LTE is a telecommunication standard dubbed as the fastest wireless technology in the world today, capable of extremely high-speed data transfers and is several times faster than present-day 3G and HSPA+ speeds.

Powered by LTE and designed for sophisticated, always-connected mobile users, the Sony Xperia V or the ZTE T82 would come free at LTE Plan 1500, bundled with unlimited data, 120 short messaging system (SMS) and 60 call minutes.

Set to be the first LTE handset in the country, the Sony Xperia V makes its Southeast Asian debut in the Philippines and would be exclusively available to Smart subscribers.

Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, loaded with Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich, and sporting a 4.3-inch HD display and a 13-megapixel camera, the Sony Xperia V is built for productivity, multi-tasking, and multimedia capture.

On the other hand, the ZTE T82 is just as full-featured, with its 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch HD display and capacitive screen, and 8-megapixel camera supporting more than 20 shooting modes, the Chinese-made handset is designed for high performance and low power consumption.

“As two of the most advanced handsets today, the Sony Xperia V and the ZTE T82 add even more excitement to a lineup of power handsets exclusively available to Smart subscribers,” said marketing head for Smart brands Mellissa Limcaoco.

“To fully enjoy the features of these two devices, as with other smartphones, subscribers must use them with a strong and reliable network. And Smart is the only telco in the country with a world-class data network capable of providing the best connectivity to the world’s most advanced devices,” she added.

Rolando Peña, head of technology at Smart and PLDT, said as the Philippines’ first and most experienced LTE operator, Smart launched its LTE service on Aug. 25, offering high-speed data services of up to 42Mbps on dongles or pocket WiFis.

A month later, the wireless leader successfully made the Philippines’ first LTE voice call and SMS on its super-charged mobile network, a move that was called “a major step forward for Smart and the Philippine mobile industry in general.”