Ufone catches up in smartphone segment

Launches three phones running Google’s Android.

KARACHI:

In a bid to catch up with the Android smartphone trend, Ufone has launched three new smartphones which are comparatively cheaper and technologically more advanced in terms of hardware.

According to industry insiders, the most significant launch is that of the ‘Image’ – a renamed Huawei X5. The X5 has been successful and well received in regions where it has been launched. Ufone acknowledged that Android phones were the new big thing in the handset arena and claimed that Pakistan is the first country to launch the Huawei Image in Asia.

Ufone’s Chief Marketing Officer Akbar Khan said that the Android operating system (OS) was a global success and that the company wanted to share the Google-powered smartphones with the public. He hoped that the lower price tag and varied features of the Android OS would generate an amazing response from the market.

All three phones will be carrier-locked and will not be usable on other networks – a decision similar to that made by Zong, which decided to lock its Huawei Ideos launch. In contrast to this, Mobilink’s Android offering was not carrier-locked.

The three phones launched cost Rs24,999, Rs15,499 and Rs11,999, respectively.

Published in The  Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2011.