Starmobile T601i PHOTO FROM TIPIDPCHOSTING.COM
MANILA, Philippines—A new Philippine company is hoping to make waves in the country’s huge mobile phone market with the introduction of new “feature-packed” devices that, unlike other brands, nearly everyone can afford.
In a briefing on Thursday, Starmobile formally launched its new line of phones to the Philippine market, although the phones have been selling since late last year.
All designed in the Philippines but manufactured in China, Starmobile phones offer consumers “everything they need” in a budget-friendly package, company officials said.
“Starmobile is more than just a maker of mobile phones. It is our vision to be the Filipino’s partner in jumpstarting dreams and aspirations,” said Starmobile president Michael Chen.
Chen, who studied industrial design at the University of the Philippines, said Starmobile was the realization of a 15-year dream of creating a local phone brand that can compete with the world’s top vendors.
“Thanks to its clever combination of innovation and style, Starmobile lives up to its promise of top-of-the-line craftsmanship with its full range of dual SIM mobile phones,” Chen said in a statement.
The company launched nine new models on Thursday, led by its flagship device, the FeatureSmart T601i—a phone with a 3.5-inch touch display, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and built-in applications such as Facebook, Twitter and Inquirer.net. The T601i sells at P3,290 each.
With its official launch, Starmobile said it would put up more stores around the country and have its devices carried by more resellers. At the moment, Starmobile only has one concept store, which is located in Davao.
Despite the growing popularity of smartphones like the Apple iPhone and the recently released Samsung Galaxy S3, Starmobile said the bulk of all mobile phone users still carry lower-priced “feature phones” in their pockets.