As I’ve mentioned before, Huawei launched their IDEOS(U8150) Android phone yesterday that will sell in the market for RM899 per unit starting November 8, 2010.
When IDEOS was announced globally, Huawei said that it will sell in the mass market between £99(RM400) and £129(RM520). However at RM899, it is selling a few hundred higher in Malaysia. The excuse Huawei gave was that the IDEOES can sell at a lower price only if the operator’s subsidize it. I wonder how does a device maker set a “mass market” price globally and expect operators around the world to follow, subsidise and sell it at the same price?
Huawei said that it is in discussion with a few mobile operators for the IDEOS. According to sources, Huawei is in close discussion with Maxis and the mobile operator will offer the IDEOS sometime next month if everything goes as plan. The IDEOS is expected to cost cheaper via Maxis if you sign up for the phone with a contract.
It is believed that Huawei is shipping only 4,000 units of the IDEOS scheduled to arrive by the end of this month.
As for the upcoming Huawei S7 Android tablet(picture above), the company confirmed that it will soon be available in Malaysia sometime end of the this year or early next year. Sources said that it will cost around RM1k-RM1.5k.
The Huawei IDEOS will be distributed via its authorised distributor TENTEN Telecommunications Sdn Bhd in Malaysia. Huawei said that it has 5 service centre in the country.
Press release from Huawei below:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 21, 2010: Huawei, a leader in providing next-generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world, today unveiled the world’s first mass market smartphone co-developed with Google, called IDEOS. The new smartphone, which runs on the latest iteration of Android 2.2, combines full feature performance with high-quality hardware and software.
The ergonomically designed IDEOS provides a variety of ways to access the Internet, boasting downlink speeds of up to 7.2Mbps and offering 3G + Wi-Fi dual network support. The device also doubles up as a Wi-Fi router, making IDEOS an all-in-one solution for a range of wireless connectivity options.
Measuring 104mm x 55mm and 13.5mm in thickness, thanks to its 2.8-inch, 320 x 240 pixels capacitive touch-screen, the IDEOS is light enough to be carried easily in a pocket. Available in four vibrant colours, the IDEOS is competitively priced at RM899 and is ideal for the young and the trendy. The IDEOS not only runs faster, but also supports functions such as voice dialing, voice navigation, and the ability to run applications in the SD card. With more than 70,000 applications available in the Android Market, IDEOS provides a wide range of communication, entertainment, and business management applications.
Mr. Alex Jiang, President of Huawei Device in Southern Pacific, said that increasing number of mobile phone users are opting for Smartphones as technology has developed significantly over the past few years to complement today’s fast-paced lifestyle. ”Cognizant of this, IDEOS is in line with Huawei’s vision for a simpler and smarter world.” The launch of the IDEOS will complement and strengthen our drive to bringing people into the “Golden Age of Mobile Broadband’. IDEOS is a high quality product that was borne out of Huawei’s extensive investment in R&D, a cultivation of talents and years of experience in the telecommunications business and has been designed and priced to lower the barriers of entry to facilitate even easier mobile Internet access.”
According to Mr. Jiang, the name “IDEOS” embodies creativity and inspiration. “The “ID” represents the industrial design-centric hardware platform, the “OS”, the operating system as the core software platform and the “E” symbolizes the evolution to mobile Internet. The word IDEOS creates Ideas for lives of the consumers.
With the introduction of the IDEOS Smartphone, Huawei is also meeting the demands of a growing market in Southeast Asia. According to findings from GfK retail audit, Southeast Asia’s Smartphone share reached 12.4% of the total mobile market in June 2010 from 5.6% in the same period last year. In Malaysia, sales of Smartphone have increased from 24.3% in 2009 to 57.7% in 2010. In addition, Smartphone with Android OS increased to 11% unit share of the Southeast Asia market over the past one year.
Huawei Device’s Android and wireless mobile broadband offerings are performing well in the global market. In 2009, device shipment hit over 90 million units globally with revenues of more than US$5 billion. Huawei is now a tier 1 vendor to major global operators. During the launch event, members of the media and invited guests of Huawei Device also had the opportunity to experience the company’s range of smart mobile broadband, handsets and home devices that aim to simplify consumers’ world. Products showcased include the much anticipated S7, the multifunctional IDEOS Tablet; E5 II, a revolutionary pocket Wi-Fi, which has recently been made available in major technology shops across the island; and a range of Android™-powered smartphones.
The IDEOS will be available in Malaysia from November 8, 2010.
