ZTE rolls out affordable smartphones in Phl market

CEBU, Philippines - Formally introducing four new smartphone models in Cebu, ZTE Philippines expects to penetrate the local mobile market with MSI-ECS Philippines Inc. as its exclusive distributor in the country.

ZTE Philippines president James Chen said that the product launch is a manifestation of the company’s goal to provide the Philippine market an opportunity to enjoy “affordable and quality” communication products.

He added that these newly-released smartphones manifest ZTE’s commitment to develop and manufacture quality handsets featuring latest mobile technologies without the high-cost of innovation.

“We have these ZTE products for all people, not only for the rich guys,” he said.

ZTE Philippines recently presented its four new Android dual-sim models, namely ZTE Grand X Quad V987, ZTE Blade E V956, ZTE Blade C V807 and KIS Flex V793.

The Chinese smartphone brand had its first official product launch for the Cebu market held in Anzani, Nivel Hills in Lahug.

Chen said that as ZTE strategically positions itself in the fast-paced smartphone industry, it considers the Philippines as one of the most attractive and important markets in Southeast Asia given the country’s huge market base and potential.

He also said that the company is bullish with the distribution capability MSI-ECS in the Philippines which he then described as a “powerful and well-experienced” distributor in the mobile market.

ZTE provides more than 500 telecommunication operators from over 140 countries.  It also boasts of its 107 subsidiaries and branches, 14 training centers and 17 research and development centers around the world.

In 2012, ZTE was dubbed as the third most popular smartphone maker in the United States and one of the top five brands worldwide based on independent surveys conducted by ABI Research, Canalys and Gartner.

ZTE Philippines officially announced the appointment of MSI-ECS as its exclusive distributor in the country last July 2012.

MSI-ECS Phils. Inc. marketing and communications division assistant vice president Maurice Altar said that the distribution company also expressed optimism with its joint venture with the international smartphone manufacturer.

He said that with the formidable strength of MSI-ECS in IT distribution paired with the quality use and affordable price point of ZTE, both companies are confident that the smartphone brand will acquire a huge chunk in the market.

“We will continue to be aggressive and capture whatever trend is present in the market. We will continue to educate the market to be able to get there. It will surely be an uphill battle but we are confident we will be able to achieve our goals,” he said.

ZTE is one of the latest brands included in the product portfolio of one of the biggest IT distributors in the country. It carries more than 30 technology brands that cater to both the consumer and enterprise markets.

Altar cited that the four new models of ZTE are present in four major retailers in Cebu that have more than 100 retail outlets in the province.

He said that they will concentrate their marketing efforts for the ZTE product line-up in Cebu which indicates how promising the market is for the global smartphone manufacturer.

While its core business is primarily focused in information technology, he said that MSI-ECS is gradually penetrating the mobility business as a new player in the industry.

He also said that they are working with telecommunication companies and mobile operators to be able to extend their reach to a wider market.

He further revealed that they will introduce the networking product line of ZTE designed for the enterprise segment. He added that the market can expect regular updates from MSI-ECS and more products to be launched and distributed in the years ahead.

MSI-ECS Philippines has affiliates in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and Singapore. Its headquarters is located in Manila while its satellite offices are in Cebu and Davao. The 15-year-old industry player has more than 3,000 distribution outlets all over the country.

ZTE Grand X Quad that is pegged at a suggested retail price of P11,990 is a dual SIM-card phone with Quad-Core 1.2 GHz processor, running Google Android 4.2, 8-megapixel camera and OGS technology.

ZTE Blade E, priced at P6,790,  is a quad-core 3G smartphone that runs on Android 4.1 OS, and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8225Q quad-core 1.2GHz CPU and 512MB RAM.

ZTE Blade C, on the other hand, is equipped with 4-inch 16 million color TFT screen and is preloaded with Android Jelly Bean OS, dual-core 1.0GHz processor with MediaTek and a 3.2 megapixel camera.

It has 4GB built-in capacity and can also support up to 32GB of external memory card, can be easily stored with movies, music, pictures and games, anytime, anywhere to enjoy digital entertainment life. It is priced at P4,290. /JMD (FREEMAN)