Global giants make Thailand their battlefield

Global giant mobile-phone makers in the past few months have turned Thailand into their battlefield, offering to Thai tech geeks new smart-phone models as part of their shift from the niche corporate market to the mass one.

International Data Corp Thailand has forecast sales of 400,000 smart phones in the Kingdom this year, a 35-per-cent increase from the 320,000 sold last year.

Last week, Research In Motion (RIM) joined with Advanced Info Service (AIS) to launch the much-awaited Blackberry Storm, RIM's first touch-screen Blackberry smart phone on the Thai market. The cost: about Bt29,900.

Gregory Wade, Asia-Pacific vice-president of RIM, said company strategy was to focus on the consumer rather than the corporate market - launching its new flagship product with consumer requirements in mind.

In May, HTC joined with AIS to launch the Android operating system-based smart phone, the HTC Magic. The cost: Bt25,900.

Nattawat Woranopakul, HTC (Thailand) country manager, said the second half of this year would see strong competition in the smart-phone market because of four main factors:

First, the availability of the Android-platform HTC Magic. Second, iPhone3GS is expected to hit the Thai market after August. Third, the launch of the Blackberry Storm, and fourth, the arrival of Windows Mobile 6.5 version, due with new smart-phones models - including those from Samsung, LC, Asus, Sony-Ericsson and Acer.

"HTC aims to sell around 120,000 smart phones under the HTC brand, with Windows Mobile and Android platforms in the ratio of 80:20. We aim for 30 per cent of the market," said Nattawat.

Taiwanese computer-maker Acer has also tapped this market with the launch of the Acer smart phone, |aiming to be a top-five player in five years.

Aymar de Lencquesaing, Acer senior corporate vice-president, said the time was right for Acer to jump into the market because of the rapid increase in mobile-data use.

"We'll bring more than 10 smart-phone models to Thailand this year, including the Acer DX900, DX650, X960, M900 and F900. We also plan an Acer smart phone with Android platform," Lencquesaing said.

In January, True Move launched in Thailand the much-hyped iPhone 3G mobile phones to strengthen brand image and tap high-end users.

True Move is authorised by Apple to provide cellular service on its iPhone 3G in Thailand. It is set to launch the new version of the mobile phone, the 3G S, in August.

New multimedia mobile phones available here use different OS platforms. While the current iPhone 3G model uses iPhone OS, the Blackberry Storm uses Blackberry Storm OS 4.7.0, and HTC has smart-phone models with Windows Mobile and Android.

Cellular operators will benefit from popular demand for both voice and data services, such as Internet browsing or video download.

David Tse, Microsoft's regional channel and mobile communication business marketing manager, said that in the past, smart phones were about business and productivity. Today they are part of everybody's lifestyle, connecting users with the online world.

"This is why Windows Mobile is all about 'synchronising' and 'connecting' - we want to help people stay connected everywhere and at anytime," said Tse.

Windows Mobile has 18 million users worldwide.