Globe boosts smartphone use in PH with cheaper browsing plans

MANILA, Philippines–Smartphone use in the Philippines is on a steady rise on the back of cheaper internet-enabled mobile devices, giving more Filipinos access to internet surfing on their mobile phones.

A report from the research firm GfK Philippines said the average price of smartphones in Philippines has dropped 23 percent from last year’s US$317 or roughly P13,000 to US$244 or a little over P10,000 this year.

“Rising demand for smartphones is largely triggered by efforts of device manufacturers who are offering more affordable smartphones, as well as retailers who have started offering 0-percent interest programs of up to 24 months on top of other promos when selling smartphone devices,” noted Benny Villanueva, general manager of GfK Philippines.

Riding the growth of smartphone use in the Philippines, Globe Telecom launched Globe PowerSurf plans, which are mobile browsing plans that use megabytes or MBs, a unit that measures data in internet-related transactions. Mobile surfing activities such as sending e-mails, downloading an application, posting on social networking sites, uploading photos or streaming videos all require a certain amount of data. 1MB is equivalent to 1,024 kilobytes (KB).

For example, activities that do not include downloading of any image, video or sound such as Facebook posts and likes, tweets, and e-mail without attachments consume up to 100 KB. Web page views and photo uploads and downloads are within the 100 KB to 500 KB range, while YouTube video streaming, application, games and music downloads generate more than 1MB.

Through Globe PowerSurf MB, subscribers get bulk Megabytes (MB) of mobile data, consumable per KB. Using Globe PowerSurf MB plans, subscribers use their allotted MBs for mobile internet activities, where MBs are consumed based on actual data from a specific activity.  This type of charging is better than default charging where subscribers are charged P5 for every 15 minutes of online time.

Using MBs in mobile surfing does not look at the time spent online, but on the activity performed or site visited, making it more affordable to surf on the mobile phone, thus giving users the worry-free mobile surfing experience.

“Most Filipinos buy smartphones and miss out on a lot of its features by limiting its use to texting or calling. A lot of smartphone users tend to use data via WiFi only due to fear of high data charges. This is why Globe introduced their PowerSurf MB plans which is best for smartphone users who always want to be connected and online without having to worry about high data charges, since charging is not based on time spent online, but on what they do and the sites they go to when connected to mobile internet,” said Jenny Granada-Echevarria, Head of Globe Mobile Data Services.

“Now that smartphone prices have dropped, it is fitting to offer mobile internet plans that give more value for money. Through this lineup of data plans, we also hope to empower smartphone owners to maximize their phone and enjoy the full features of its apps, especially now that surfing on mobile has become easier on the pocket with Globe PowerSurf MB plans,” she added.

To subscribe to a Globe PowerSurf MB plan, text Powersurf to 8888 or dial *143# for free. Learn more about Globe PowerSurf MB plans by visiting https://surf.globe.com.ph.