Nokia pushes low-end phones

For the first time ever in its Philippine operations, cellular phone maker Nokia is making conscious efforts to push its entry-level mobile phone models to cushion the effect of “belt-tightening” measures adopted by Filipino consumers.

This means that the Philippine market will be flooded with more affordable, but fashionable, and features-full mobile phones, that will range from P1,900 to P5,900 per unit.

“We never pushed entry-level phones before, now we are making conscious efforts to push these kinds of models,” said Nikka Abes, corporate communications manager for Nokia Philippines.

She said though that there is still a sustainable market for middle end to high end phones. However, Nokia is going to take advantage of the untapped mainstream market, as well as individuals who need secondary cell phone units.

Recently, Nokia introduced its newest entry-level mobile phone model --- the Nokia 7210 SuperNova, which offers sophisticated features, but is priced affordably at P5,900.

Also, part of its continues introduction of middle range to high end units, Nokia is also deploying new designs with advanced features such as Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia 6600 Fold and Slide models, and Nokia N96.

According to Abes, although Nokia’s third quarter result still registered good performance despite the slack market, she said the company is also expecting ripple effect of the global economic crisis that will touch the bottom and eventually affect the buying attitudes of consumers.

Earlier, the largest mobile phone and gadget retailer in the Philippines, Junrex Holdings Inc., revealed that the buying attitude of Filipinos for cellular phone has changed now because of financial difficulties.

Junrex Holdings Inc., president Pablo Yap Jr., said that the economic meltdown has already been felt by his businesses, saying if in the past, it was easier to generate P1 million sales disposing 1,000 units of cellular phones, now his stores have to sell at least 3,000 cellular units to raise P1 million sales.

Most consumers he said don’t mind getting low-end phones in order to save, than buying expensive cellular phone units.

The movement of cellular phone sales is one of the primary barometers of Filipino spending habit now-a-days.

Abes said despite the changing attitude of cellular phone buyers in the Philippines, Nokia is still bullish of its significant growth here, significantly on the sustaining interest of Filipinos to buy brand new affordable phones, for secondary use, or for the teenage market. --- Ehda M. Dagooc