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Friday, December 05, 2003
Cell phone firms play catch-up with Nokia
By Jessica B. Natad
CELLULAR phone makers aim to give Nokia, the cellular phone brand dominating the country’s cellular phone market today, a run for its money.
According to First Asia Mobile Inc. country manager Kenny Khoo Chan Leng, Samsung Digitall plans to equal Nokia’s cellular phone unit sales next year.
“We aim to increase our sales next year and be at par with Nokia’s sales. We can achieve this without lowering our prices because lowering the prices of our units will compromise the quality of Samsung phones, which Samsung is proud of,” he told a press conference at the Laguna Garden Café last week.
Hong Kong-based First Asia is the exclusive distributor of Samsung phones in the country.
Sony Ericsson and Motorola are also not about to allow themselves to be left behind.
Patrick Larraga, marketing manager of Sony Ericsson, told Sun.Star in a separate interview that the company is now leveraging on the combined strengths of consumer electronics giant Sony Corp. and telecommunications company Ericsson. Sony and Ericsson merged in 2001.
Larraga said Sony’s expertise in color and Ericsson’s technological skills will assure new Sony Ericsson cellular phones of a big chunk of the market.
Sony Ericsson launched in Cebu last week three new colorful cellular phone models—the Z200, Z600 and P900.
Earlier, Motorola Inc. corporate vice president and general manager for personal communications sector for Southeast Asia Scot Durchlag said Motorola would introduce new phones every month for the next six months.
Meanwhile, First Asia’s Leng said Samsung’s cellular phone sales as of November this year had almost equaled Nokia’s sales.
Ratio
According to Junrex Cellphones and Accessories Inc. retail sales manager Maharlika Mar, the sales ratio of Samsung versus Nokia in May this year was one is to 10. But as of last month, Samsung’s sales performance improved to four out of 10 cellular phones sold in Cebu.
In Davao, Samsung retailer Wilson Lu of Wiltelcom said the sales ratio is 40-60 in favor of Nokia.
Samsung is now second to Nokia in the Philippine cellular phone market, Leng said.
(December 5, 2003 issue)
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