To bring the digital lifestyle to more people, CloudFone, Intel, and Globe Telecom have joined forces to offer a smartphone-tablet-keyboard bundle for Php499 a month under a postpaid plan.
The bundle includes the Intel-powered CloudFone Epic 7.0 tablet, Cloudfone Excite 400dx smartphone, and a postpaid voice and data connection powered by Globe Telecom’s network.
The CloudFone Epic 7.0 is the first local tablet brand powered by Intel to be launched with a postpaid plan from Globe. The Android tablet is equipped with dual core Intel Atom Z2520 processor in 1.2GHz, 8GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and can support external drives like Micro USB 2.0 and Micro SD. The tablet comes with a Bluetooth keyboard and a case.
CloudFone, Globe Telecom and Intel launch smartphone-tablet-keyboard bundle, free at Plan 499
The accompanying Android-based CloudFone Excite 400dx phone has a large 4-inch touchscreen, offers dual-SIM capabilities, and supports 3G. It is powered by a 1.2Ghz dual core processor and a 3,000mAh battery. It also features a 5MP rear and front camera.
Both the tablet and phone are available exclusively for free at Globe mySUPERPLAN 499. The postpaid plan comes with 100 MB of data, 10-minute calls and 200 texts to all networks, all-month access to productivity apps such as Gmail, Yahoo mail, and Evernote, and 10GB of Globe Cloud storage. A prepaid bundle will also be available soon.
Established in 2011, CloudFone is among the rising number of local brands.
“CloudFone is proud to tie-up with such industry giants as Globe and Intel, which signifies our strong commitment to the Philippine market and demonstrates our ability to develop world-class tablet and smartphone designs. We continue to explore different ways of offering the best devices through collaborations that make the best technology innovations available to more Filipinos than ever before,” said CloudFone CEO, Eric Yu.
The Epic 7.0 is CloudFone’s third tablet that is powered by Intel technology. “We have to work closely with chipset makers to make a difference. The Epic 7.0 is our very first affordable Intel tablet. Intel inside an affordable local brand is a winner in the market,” said Yu.
Other local brands that are powered by Intel chips include Starmobile, Cherry Mobile and SunTouch.
“Tablet growth is driven by local brands because they know the consumers,” says Intel Philippine Country Manager Calum Chisholm.
Citing figures from IDC, Chisholm says the strong demand for tablets and smartphones in the Philippines will prevail in 2014, with a 40% growth for tablet shipments to the Philippines forecasted in 2014 as both international and local players continue to grow the market.
Filipinos patronize local brands more compared to neighboring countries in Asia, yet the Philippines still has a lot of room for growth in the tablet space. The growth will be largely be driven by smaller and lower-priced tablets, with one in every two tablets shipped in the first quarter of 2013 being below 8 inches in screen size. Shipments of smaller tablets will continue to increase as consumers realize that these small devices are often more ideal for their daily consumption habits.
“Intel has been seeing a growing demand in the local market for Intel-powered tablets and mobile devices that are equipped not only with stunning display features, long battery life and great performance but also attractively priced,” said Chisholm. “This collaboration enables us to provide the best computing experience on a tablet coupled with great connectivity. You can’t have a great product and not be connected.”
Consumers also seek faster mobile performance for social networking and productivity; and as demand for tablets increase, greater demand for mobile internet will also ensue. Globe notes that the number of people using mobile Internet and data has doubled since offering its customers free access to Facebook. Its collaboration with Intel and CloudFone is expected to give Globe customers access to a powerful tablet at an affordable price.
“We are trying to make the digital lifestyle more accessible to more people,” said Mark Go, Director, Consumer Postpaid Acquisition, Globe Telecom.
