Smart to more than double share of smartphone users

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc., the main mobile unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), plans to more than double the share of smartphone users among its subscriber base.

Kathryn Carag, postpaid marketing head at Smart, said in an interview with reporters that the company is looking at increasing smartphone ownership among its subscriber base to more than 20 percent from about 10 percent last year.

“In the first quarter of 2014 alone, Smart and Sun Cellular saw smartphone ownership within the network jump to 18 percent of the total subscriber base, up from just 10 percent at the beginning of 2013 and aided by the rising demand for mobile data,” she stressed.

The telco is looking at increasing the share of smartphone users in its prepaid subscriber base to about 50 percent to 60 percent. Smart sees further increase in smartphone users among its subscriber base as it announced the exclusive availability of the LG G2 Mini LTE (Long-Term Evolution) in its postpaid portfolio, available at an affordable price of P1,200 a month.

Available at Smart Postpaid All-In Plan 1200, the LG G2 Mini LTE becomes the most affordable smartphone offering that comes with unlimited LTE surf- ing, allowing users to access superfast mobile Internet on a high-performing smartphone from a globally acclaimed smartphone brand.

Subscribers would be able maximize their All-In Plan 1200 plan with the LG G2 Mini LTE because it automatically comes with Unli LTE 995, which offers unlimited superfast mobile LTE surfing every month.