First Ufone, then Zong and now Telenor has entered into the business of smartphones to cash in on the lucrative business opportunity in the country with two entry level 3G handsets — Telenor Easy 3G and Telenor Smart 3G handsets.
Smartphones in Pakistan are enjoying an explosion in popularity with the introduction of 3G and 4G. Anything remotely affordable gets cleared out of stock in no time and this is where Telenor is tapping with the launch of its two entries level 3G enabled phones.
So the interest of telcos in handset business makes sense. They already have a market presence, brand recognition and widely available sales channels including customer care centers and franchises, an area where phone manufacturers struggle.
|
|
Selling handsets alongside cellular phone services is an intuitive way to multiply profits.
The two handsets from Telenor will be available from 15th April 2015 on all Telenor Sales & Service Centers and franchises as well as in selected mobile shops across Pakistan.
In order to enhance the reach of these devices to the customers, Telenor Pakistan has appointed i2 Pakistan as the distribution and warranty partner with over 800 collection points.
Irfan Wahab Khan, Chief Marketing Officer of Telenor Pakistan said:
Telenor Pakistan aims to bring 3G phones within the affordability range of people belonging to low and middle income groups.3G is getting popular across the country but unavailability of affordable and good featured handsets are hampering its growth. The penetration of 3G technology could be faster than today if customers will be provided handsets that could easily supported 3G technology with desired applications and options.
He further added:
The affordable handsets will allow many subscribers to use 3G technology in future as the available brands are too expensive with respect to the purchasing power of millions of users.We have travelled into rural areas and interviewed many people who kept asking for 3G service in their cities which shows highly positive signs for cellular phone companies.
|
|
“Telenor is working on its theme “Internet for All” and it believes that internet will explore vast opportunities not for the customers but for the economy as well as 10 percent internet utility directly contributes to 1 percent share of the GDP”, he added.
Already, Telenor is working with K Electric to provide internet based solutions for meter reading of customers. It is working in dairy sector with Engro to standardize milk products. It is mulling over introduction of internet based systems for e-governance like traffic control.
He concluded by saying that these projects and launch of handsets are just the start. There is much more being explored and will be unfolded in time by Telenor for customers of Pakistan.
Like many brands the handset introduced by Telenor are manufactured in China.
Telenor Easy 3G
Telenor_3G_002
Price: Rs 3,700 to Rs 3,900
3G-enabled feature phone
Front Camera
Social media apps (Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp)
Telenor Smart 3G
Telenor_3G_001
Price: 6,000 to 6,700
Loaded with Telenor Music
Telenor Appstore, Viber
Skype and Social Media Apps
Additional Offers
Telenor Pakistan brings 18 months warranty for its customers, which is the first time in Pakistan that any handset comes with an extended warranty.
Telenor Pakistan’s customers can avail a balance of Rs 600 and 3GB data over the first six months with these handsets.
|