HTC Launches Affordable Smart Phone In Thailand

[george]

HTC launches affordable smart phone in Thailand

HTC yesterday launched its first lowpriced consumer smart phone, the HTC Smart, aimed at gaining a share of the lowend mobile market, which makes up 60 per cent of handset sales.

Nattawat Woranopakul, manager of HTC Thailand, said the Smart was designed to introduce smart phones to the mass market.

The price range for what HTC calls the consumer smartphone market is Bt5,000 to Bt7,000. This market accounts for some 20 per cent of the overall mobilephone market, while about 40 per cent is basic phones priced about Bt2,000.

The overall mobilephone market is expected to surpass 10 million units this year, up from 9.7 million last year, Nattawat said. The smartphone market last year involved 700,000800,000 units and is expected to reach 1 million this year.

HTC expects to maintain its market position this year even though its share will fall to 18 per cent, from 20 per cent last year, because the overall smartphone market will be more than 50 percent bigger than last year.

The company hopes to sell 20,000 Smarts in six months. Priced at Bt6,750, including valueadded tax, it comes in a choice of three colours: black, pink or white.

The Smart runs on Qualcomm's Brew MP, a popular mobilephone operating system that allows smart phones to be offered at more aggressive prices. This provides HTC with the flexibility to deliver smartphone features on devices across multiple tiers.

Users are gearing up to move mainly to affordable smart phones.

"This segment is a blend of basic phone and smartphone features. HTC Smart also combines basic phone functions like an FM radio, camera and touch screen with smartphone functions like mobile Internet browsing, social networking, backing up and synchronising," Nattawat added.

-- The Nation 2010-03-31

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[nikster]

I think it's an interesting trend.

I have seen some teens use dirt cheap chinese brand phones with Windows Mobile doing email and other smart phone stuff. Granted WinMo is crap, and those were most likely illegal copies too - but a 4000 baht smart phone is not far off, and once the chinese manufacturers find out about Android ("Let's steal it. What, it's free?...") and the processors get just a little faster/cheaper, an Android phone might cost 4000 or 5000 Baht. They already have most of the hardware features together. Large screens, keyboards, big batteries etc.

HTC, Apple and so on will have to react to this and make their own cheap smart phones. There's no way other than down for the prices at the moment.