When Steve Jobs died, it was surprising how quick SMART Communications was in setting up a space on it’s old website considering that they were not the official iPhone partner of Apple in the Philippines. Globe, Apple’s official iPhone partner in the Philippines did not even bother and just changed the profile picture of their Facebook Page. I had a hunch that something was not right, specially when SMART started releasing ads on major dailies offering the same tribute to Apple’s co-founder. Now, my hunch has been confirmed because Inquirer Technology just released this article:
MANILA, Philippines—Wireless telecommunications giant Smart Communications is set to heat up competition in the offering of telco services bundled with Apple products with the rollout of Apple’s game-changing smartphone iPhone to premium subscribers within this year.
Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of Smart’s parent firm Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., confirmed that Smart was in talks with Apple to launch the latest version of the iPhone—iPhone4S—before yearend.
Similar to what happened to bigger markets like the United States, Germany and Canada, consumer electronics giant Apple has abandoned the regime of exclusive iPhone distribution.
With the lapse of the exclusivity deal with Globe Telecom, the original iPhone official carrier in the Philippines, Smart is now getting ready to launch iPhone4S as well.
Pangilinan said iPhone4S would initially be offered by Smart to high-end postpaid subscribers.
Smart will also soon start offering wireless broadband services bundled with Apple’s iPad tablets, Pangilinan said.
However, he could not yet say when the iPad will be offered to Smart subscribers.
“We’re working on the iPhone4 first because there’s a lot of demand for it,” he said.
Expectations that Smart will also start offering iPhones intensified recently when the mobile phone company published a conspicuous tribute to Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder, who passed away recently.
With the recent acquisition of Digital Telecommunications, Smart now controls about 70 percent of the wireless telecommunications market in the country.
Being an iPhone user and a new SMART subscriber, I must say I’m excited! Now, who wants to buy my 5 day old Nexus S?
Source: Inquirer Technology
