According to the research firm International Data Corporation or IDC, the Philippines is now the fastest growing smartphone market in the ASEAN region with an adoption rate of 20%.
“Smartphones priced below ₱3,500 still make up the majority of smartphones shipped to the Philippines,” the IDC observed. This means that most Filipinos are now buying smartphones instead of feature phones and choosing the cheapest models such as the MyPhone My28s.
| Jubert Alberto, Country Head of IDC Philippines announces the good news. |
Smart Inc. offered the MyPhone My28s for merely ₱888.00 in exchange for being locked to the telco’s network making it sell out in most outlets! This made MyPhone regain the lead among smartphone brands in the Philippines during the first quarter of 2016.
In 2014, its fierce competitor Cherry Mobile overtook MyPhone as the number 1 smartphone brand in the Philippines. The latter’s renewed focus on affordable smartphones and uniform design language must have been effective.
However, many international and Chinese brands are starting to offer affordable smartphones too. Oppo is now ubiquitous in malls throughout the country while Samsung now offers the Galaxy J1 Mini for ₱3,999.
| MyPhone’s logo. |
IDC encourages local smartphone brands in the Philippines to stay competitive by offering better specs, innovative features and improved after sales service with their products.
Jubert Alberto, Country Head of IDC Philippines advised telcos to “keep an eye out for network congestion and adjust accordingly.” He also said that telcos should not just subsidize devices like the MyPhone My28s and the newly announced Starmobile Play Click but also keep the price of mobile internet in check since the Philippines has the most expensive rate in ASEAN.
You can read IDC’s press release here.
