Dopod enters RP market

Dopod International Corp., a leading PDA phone and smartphone provider, unveiled its initial range of high-end handsets in a press conference held at the Makati Shangri-La recently.

Two of the handsets – the 3.5G Wi-Fi-enabled 838Pro and the D810 – are quad-band PDA phones, while the third is the M700 music phone.

The P49,500 838Pro features a slide-out QWERTY keypad – a pioneer feature in 3.5G PDA phones. It’s fitted with a 360-degree jog wheel which enables users to check e-mails and browse the Internet for important updates with one hand.

The 838Pro is not only 3.5G and Wi-Fi-enabled, it also boasts Blackberry, HSDPA, GPRS, EDGE and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity. It has Push Mail technology, which enables users to receive e-mails the moment they arrive in their inbox; and ActiveSync, which updates data between a PC or laptop in a snap. Its Pocket MSN allows access to not only MSN Messenger, but also Hotmail and the MSN portal.

The 838Pro, which has 128MB of built-in ROM and 64MB RAM, has a 2.8" 65K color TFT LCD screen with a brilliant 240 x 320 QVGA display. It also sports a two-megapixel camera with flash.

The feature-rich 838Pro comes with a PenPower WorldCard Mobile, a mobile version business card reader which allows users to capture business cards, recognize text information and save to Contacts instantly.

The P46,000 D810, which has a hot-swappable miniSD card slot, has most of the 838Pro’s features and connectivity applications.

Like all other phones from Taiwan-based Dopod, the D810 runs on the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform. It’s powered by a Samsung 400MHz processor and runs Microsoft Office programs like Outlook Mobile, Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, IE Mobile and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile.

Users also have access to Adobe Reader (PDF), Cyberon Voice Commander, RSS News Reader, Activesync, Comm Manager, Internet sharing, Network Wizard and Streaming Media Player.

For those who prefer music and entertainment over business applications in their handset, Dopod created the P39,000 M700.

Besides its built-in FM radio, the M700 is capable of downloading music and audio-visual content via high-speed WLAN. Equipped with a media center, an audio manager and an audio booster with a 10-band equalizer, the M700 delivers true high-quality sound. It comes with a 128MB flash memory as well as a 512MB MicroSD card.

The M700 is also the first Windows Mobile Music PDA phone to offer the Open Mobile Alliance Digital Rights Management (OMA DRM) protection, making it an ally to the music industry’s drive to curb piracy. The OMA DRM protection is an industry protocol that ensures that copyrighted materials are not pirated.

Aside from high-speed WLAN 802.11b/g, the graphite silver M700 also boasts quad-band, GPRS, EDGE and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity. And like its 838Pro and D810siblings, the M700 has a 2.8" QVGA display, a 2-MP camera, MS Office programs including Pocket MSN, and a 360-degree scroll wheel to which it adds an eight-way touch pointer, an innovative new interface design. These are flanked by control keys that make it easier to access certain functions.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the Philippine telecommunications market – one of the most dynamic in the world," said Jack Tong, CEO of Dopod International Corp.

"Since its inception in 2002, Dopod International Corp. has been totally committed to providing the ultimate in digital connectivity to its customers. The launch of Dopod International here in the Philippines represents the start of a new and exciting chapter in the Philippine telecommunications landscape. Our range of Windows Mobile devices will allow Filipino business leaders to manage their business communications while being on the move and still enjoy and experience true mobility," he added.

Dopod International Corp. has become one of Asia’s fastest growing mobile communications companies largely due to its successful partnerships with two world-class industry leaders: Microsoft and High Tech Computer (HTC).

HTC is the world’s leading manufacturer of smartphones and Pocket PCs and currently manufactures around 80 percent of the mobile phones running on the Windows operating systems.

According to Antonio Javier, managing director of Microsoft Philippines, who helped present the new Dopods, more and more Filipinos are moving toward living the digital lifestyle and there is now an increased demand for mobile devices.

"We are very pleased that Dopod International is making available all these new devices in the Philippines. Microsoft is committed to delivering products and services that increase people’s productivity in the home, office and even when they’re on the go. Dopod International’s mobile devices which run on the Windows Mobile platform will provide the efficiency needed in today’s fast-paced world," he said.

Dopod International Corp. enters the Philippines after successfully establishing itself in countries like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and India. Dopod phones will be distributed locally by SiS Technologies (Philippines).