UPDATE: We already have unit. Read our unboxing and initial impressions here: Unboxing the Smart NetPhone
The biggest draw of the Smart Netphone is the competitive price. According to a news report on Inquirer, the Smart Netphone will retail for P5,000-P7,000. That’s ridiculously cheap compared to a lot of other smartphones in the market today. The phone will be powered by Android 2.2 Froyo OS and it was made by Huawei (in collaboration with Smart Communications).
Excerpt from the article:
Because it is powered by the Android 2.2 OS and is WAC, the Netphone can also access the entire Android market and other apps stores.
It is especially designed to enable users to access the Internet in “bite size,” allowing them to go straight to the services they need in one touch and in the shortest time possible, thereby wasting no airtime in going through various processes.
Smart has teamed up with Chinese phone maker Huawei for the Netphone. The telco took part in the design of the handsets manufactured by Huawei to ensure that the devices are in accordance with Netphone specifications.
Making sure it will be affordable to many, the Netphones will retail for about P5,000 to P7,000.
Photo from Jayvee Fernandez
Looking forward to seeing this get reviewed.
What’s the specs of that phone, It should be better than Samsung Galaxy 5 for me to consider though
It seems to be a really good phone!!! Haha.. I might trade in my E72 with my father if he buys me that phone XD
What worries me is the battery life though.. usually with such phones with such cheap prices that’s what is sacrificed. And I wonder about the speed too… Though for the first Smart Netphone I guess they won’t make it THAT bad.
It is not from Huawei. The phone is made by ZTE and it is originally branded as ZTE Blade prior to Smart renaming it “Netphone”.
I’ve seen a specifications page of this phone and I wanna share it thru this comment hope this helps:
http://www.htc.com/uk/product/wildfire/specification.html
GUYS,
apparently we have been asking the wrong questions. the one you see here is the FIRST netphone. it’s a complete line. all SMART phones will be netphones.
http://abuggedlife.com/2011/02/16/an-explanation-of-netphone-its-not-a-phone-neither-is-it-an-os/
It can be a Samsung, an HTC, ZTE, HUAWEI, etc depending on the market segment. Netphone is not hardware. It’s a complete ecosystem. IM EXCITED.
oh and target price point for entry level netphones should be about PHP 3k.
this is a way for SMART to encourage mass market to adopt 3G technology. tayo, sosyal tayo with our iPhones and BlackBerries. Sila, hindi pa gumagamit ng data. They need to find a relevant use for it and this may just be one way.
indeed a good innovation to convert Smart Communications Inc. from TelCo to a ICT. Kampay to them. Better to market them to everyone, surely facebook-twitter-plurk would give huge thanks.
is it true 5000-7000php only? i really want to buy this phone but i see other information about netphone..like this
NEW SMART netphone701
Get the new Netphone.
Only P9,900
please answer my question..
where in philippines you by a 5000 only smartphone??
wow..netphones..cool