Smart-Samsung tie-up brings mobile Net to more Pinoys

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc. and Samsung Electronics Philippines Co. (SEPCO) recently signed a partnership that will enable buyers of selected Samsung mobile devices to immediately experience high-speed mobile broadband upon purchase.

Under the partnership, customers buying a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7-inch 4G, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Core 2, Galaxy Ace 4 DS 3G, and Galaxy Star+ devices from Samsung Stores will receive a free Smart Power SIM card pre-loaded with 150MB worth of Internet data and 150 SMS to all networks every month for six months.

“According to studies, more Filipinos are now enjoying the best of the Internet using their tablet and mobile devices,” said Michele Curran, Smart’s data and international services marketing head.

“With this partnership, more users can instantly experience high-speed mobile broadband connections from Smart Bro on the latest and most exciting devices only from Samsung,” Curran added.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Smart Bro for this initiative. Smart Bro will unlock the power of Samsung’s most sought-after mobile devices so they can watch videos, post status updates on Facebook, or upload the latest photos on Instagram even while on the go,” said Chung Lyong Lee, SEPCO managing director.

Smart Bro and Samsung’s partnership comes as the Philippines was declared recently as among the fastest-growing tablet markets in the region, with exponential volume growth of up to 82 percent year-on-year in just the first four months of 2014, according to research firm GfK Asia.

This growth is driven by the availability of affordable smartphones and tablets in the local market, led by global and market leader Samsung.

“This partnership with Samsung will therefore bring mobile broadband to a wider set of local users as they access the Internet on their Samsung devices,” Curran said.

To make the user’s Internet experience an easier and convenient one, those who avail themselves of the Smart Power SIM promotion with Samsung will gain instant access to the Smart Bro Dashboard, the latest innovation that allows users to better manage their broadband consumption.

Using the Smart Bro Dashboard, subscribers will be able to check their SIM number, current load balance, and validity periods of their existing broadband packages. They will also be able to subscribe to various Smart Bro offers such as Unlisurf, Flexitime, and Always On using the Dashboard.