Smart's Netphone is more than a phone!

BARCELONA, Spain — Smart Communications Inc. recently unveiled the Netphone at the 2011 Mobile World Congress (MWC) here. 

According to Smart, the Netphone is more than a new Android OS-powered device offering for an emerging market.

As explained by Danilo Mojica, Smart Wireless Consumer Division head, during one of the MWC panel discussions: “What we want to emphasize is that Smart’s Netphone is a suite of subscriber-relevant services or applications running on affordable, high-quality devices such as smartphones and tablets. This will enable our subscribers to get bite-sized servings of the Internet at prices at the same levels of current basic services.”

“The Netphone addresses our subscribers’ need to communicate through voice, SMS, e-mail and social media. It will also go beyond that by making available Netphone applications for financial services, retail purchases, news and entertainment, just to name a few,” Mojica added. 

As a telco-managed environment, Smart will be able to directly push software, applications and updates directly to its subscribers over the air. 

Smart chief wireless adviser Orlando Vea (right) holds up a Netphone handset manufactured by ZTE, which is the first in the family of Netphone devices that Smart unveiled at the MWC in Barcelona. With Vea is Danilo Mojica, Smart Consumer Division head. Right photo shows (from left) Novarre’s Kenneth Palacios, Smart’s Anabelle Chua, Rolando Peña, and Alex Ibasco at the Smart Netphone station at the WAC booth.

Smart is able to do this since the Netphone is compliant with the specifications of Android and the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC), an alliance of the world’s leading telecom operators, application developers, handset manufacturers, and operating system owners that is defining open industry applications standards.

“With the NetPhone, Smart can rapidly deploy new widgets, applications and services over the air, continually enhancing the Netphone’s value to our subscribers, and in the process creating healthy revenue streams,” said Napoleon Nazareno, Smart president and CEO.

Orlando Vea, Smart chief wireless adviser, said, “By providing easy, bite-sized access to the Web, the NetPhone perfectly complements our Internet For All advocacy. Designed for emerging-market mobile phone users, this device further democratizes access to the Internet just as Smart led in putting cellphones in the hands of millions of Filipinos.”

A founding member of WAC, Smart has received numerous international innovation awards, including two from the GSM Association for its breakthrough services Smart Money, the world’s first cash card linked to mobile phones, and Smart Load, the world’s first prepaid airtime electronic loading service.