Cellprime CEO Eric Yu: On Cloud 9

There is a reason technocrat Eric Yu is on Cloud 9 these days.

Cloudfone, a mobile phone brand he introduced in 2010, has grown 199.8 percent (in volume) and 163.8 percent (in value) since 2015. This immense and impressive growth is credited to the leadership of the visionary behind the young mobile tech brand, Eric.

Yu, CEO of Cellprime, the maker of Cloudfone, established his promising company in 2003 as an exclusive seller of Globe phone cards and SIM cards. Fresh from the University of British Columbia with an Economics degree, Yu wanted to delve into e-commerce and telecommunication. While working, the passionate entrepreneur discovered a boundless opportunity that many in the local mobile market had overlooked — providing the ordinary wage earner premium, value-for-your-money devices. It was this spark of inspiration that gave birth to Cloudfone.

In 2010, through Cloudfone, Yu launched his first devices — Cloudfone Ice and the QWERTY Touch, which retailed at an astonishing P7,000 — a fraction of the cost of the available phones on the market at the time.

“In those days, a typical smartphone was priced around P20,000 to P30,000, a cost which was out of budget for the average Filipino. So that got me thinking to offer phones which consumers could afford and which could deliver the same mobile experience,” says Yu. “We were the first local brand to offer affordable smartphones, so that started our business. From then on, we evolved and developed more powerful and awesome devices.”

From developing the highly successful Cloudfone Thrill 430x in 2013, which offered 4,160 mAh and three times more battery life than average smartphones, Cloudfone did not just enjoy having a bestseller, but continued to raise the bar by developing more smartphones and tablets that were truly game-changers. All these devices were created not simply to match what was already available in the market, but were built to elevate the mobile experience and make life easier for its users. Yu introduced new ideas built on consumer insight and behavior.

Constant innovation became the drive and foundation of Cloudfone. “From the very beginning, we wanted to offer something different in terms of what had been done. We wanted to further understand our users and seek new ways to make your mobile experience more awesome,” states Yu.

In addition to becoming the first local brand to offer low-cost smartphones in the Philippines, Cloudfone soon set more milestones by creating the first Android Lollipop tablet in the Philippines; developing the first dual-boot device, bringing crossover over technology — Windows and Android — into one device; becoming the first local brand to offer real metal back covers, and many more.

Yu masterfully paved the way for Cloudfone to soar by collaborating with global tech giants such as MediaTek, Microsoft and Inteland. This allowed the best and latest technology to be incorporated into all Cloudfone devices.

“We sought the partnership of these global brands and leaders because we wanted to bring more awesome content and devices. They, on the other hand, seeing and understanding Cloudfone’s vision and way of working, quickly agreed to work with us because they trusted our vision and competency to deliver premium phones,” shares Yu.

Soon, it wasn’t just the industry tech giants placing their trust in Cloudfone. International entertainment and content providers such as Spotify, NBA, Marvel, Disney and Star Wars sought and forged a partnership with the mobile trailblazer. Through these partnerships, Cloudfone is able to offer exclusive experiences and deliver powerful specs and performance at affordable prices.

That’s why Eric Yu is on Cloud 9.

Bringing awesome to consumers

Yu has always believed that Cloudfone’s customers are the most important variable in his business. Like the CEO, the company anticipates what the consumers want and need, understanding their behavior before ultimately creating products that address those needs.

“Other companies want to change consumer behavior,” observes Yu. “They create a product and make you use it the way they want you to use it. With Cloudfone, it’s different. Our objective is not to change the consumer’s behavior; what we want to do is understand our users, and create a product that will really help answer their daily needs or even address unrealized needs in order to provide true value to each individual. We aim to make their lives better and easier through our devices.”

Understanding the different personalities of mobile users has become key to developing Cloudfone products, resulting in  Cloudfone’s wide array of devices that cater to different lifestyles and needs.

Here are some of their must-have devices. There’s the Cloudpad X, a gaming tablet that comes with the free Xbox top-selling game title, Halo, perfect for avid mobile gamers; Cloudpad Special Edition tablets, which are Disney/Marvel/Star Wars-themed tablets that offer official accessories and content for  multimedia junkies; and Cloudfone Next and Next Lite, the powerful flagship smartphone for heavy users and on-the-go professionals. There are over 10 handpicked devices that can complement every lifestyle.

With each new device, Yu wants to excite consumers, inspire new experiences, and teach new ways to enjoy Cloudfone. “We constantly push the envelope by creating better products, deliver richer experiences, and offer the best devices at affordable prices. We want our consumers to know that we listen to their needs and provide them with a price range that lets them get the best the market has to offer.”

Thanks to the passion and vision of Eric Yu, Cloudfone is now competing with the big names and changing the game in the local industry.

“After a very successful 2016, we’re very optimistic that we’ll be able to sustain the growth, given the momentum of our partnerships and all the products that we’ve been able to launch,” says Yu. “We’re very happy with our performance this past year, and very eager to get into 2017.”

Yu reveals what lies at the heart of Cloudfone: “What we offer are premium, quality phones at affordable prices. Affordable is not equal to cheap. We want to correct the thinking that if you pay cheap, you get a cheap product. With every device, we give you the best — the latest technology, impressive specs, and the most unique experiences — because we believe you deserve awesome.”

(For more information about Cloudfone and its products, visit www.cloudfone.com.ph.)

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