Pocket PC Phones In Southeast Asia

[Janak Parekh]

Two recent news tidbits about upcoming Pocket PC Phones: <li> Singtel has <a href="http://www.ipaqabilities.com/iaforums/viewtopic.php?t=294">just announced</a> that they'll be carrying the iPAQ 6365 for S$980, starting on August 20.<br /><li> North America and Europe aren't the only places excited about the MPx. <a href="http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/8/11/business/8636237&sec=business">This article</a> illustrates interest in Malaysia:<br /><br /><i>"He said interest in the yet-to-be-launched Motorola MPx, dubbed by the company as the 'ultimate road warrior phone', was so strong that some consumers had actually requested to pay a deposit to secure a unit. The personal digital assistant (PDA) phone, to be available at a price above RM2,500 later this year, is the smallest of its kind and boasts numerous 'wow' features. It is among the few high-end phones out of the 14 models that Motorola will be launching in the local market before year-end."</i><br /><br />For those who don't know, RM2,500 equates to about US$657. So for those of you who are panicking about the MPx costing $920, it's <b>way</b> too early to draw that conclusion. Now, let's just hope that the carriers here are reading articles like this and they realize how smart they would be promoting them more aggressively. I think Pocket PC phones are on the verge of taking off. 8)

[jonathanchoo]

It is priced ABOVE RM2500. But RM2500 is still cheap considering that the price quoted is in Malaysian Ringgit and most of the mobile phone carriers do subsidies.

Still I think the MpX is one of the ugliest devices ever created by mankind.

[piperpilot]

What's the difference between the 6365 and the 6315? I couldn't find any specs in the news release.

[sooby77]

* North America and Europe aren't the only places excited about the MPx. This article (http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/8/11/business/8636237&sec=business) illustrates interest in Indonesia:


Urm... that's actually Malaysia and not Indonesia. The Star is one of the more popular paper in Malaysia. I'm a Malaysian and just came from there from my summer break.

[marlof]

that's actually Malaysia and not Indonesia

Thanks! The original post is edited to show the right country now.

[whydidnt]

I think that the MPx is going to be a wake up call for a lot of the PPC and phone manufacturers. I think there will be incredible demand for these once they become available. I predict IPaq 36XX series style shortages whenever this finally gets released.

3 things non-geeks want in their phone-pda (see success of mediocre Treo):
1. Small Form Factor
2. Keyboard
3. It has to look like a "phone" not a PDA - this is where (along with size) is where the XDA III misses out.

[Duncan]

3. It has to look like a "phone" not a PDA - this is where (along with size) is where the XDA III misses out.

... and yet the XDA II has been extremely suceessful in the UK - which has a very strong mobile phone culture

[whydidnt]

... and yet the XDA II has been extremely suceessful in the UK - which has a very strong mobile phone culture

I have to say my views are shaded or perhaps limited by my experiences in the US. The XDA II is not widely available here - most likekly because the original XDA never garned many sales for TMobile or AT&T when they offered it for sale. As an owner of the XDA, I know I quit using the phone functions because of the size within a short time of purchase. It just became easier to carrier a non-converged device. That's why I'm really looking forward to the MPx, since it "seems" to provide the best convernge of phone and PPC to-date.

[Duncan]

... and yet the XDA II has been extremely suceessful in the UK - which has a very strong mobile phone culture

I have to say my views are shaded or perhaps limited by my experiences in the US. The XDA II is not widely available here - most likekly because the original XDA never garned many sales for TMobile or AT&T when they offered it for sale.

Don't get me wrong - I'm surprised by the popularity of the XDA II in the UK myself - it runs counter to what might be expected in a culture that has embraced mobile tech so thoroughly. That makes me wonder if expectations are shaping the market rather than the other way round...

[Janak Parekh]

Urm... that's actually Malaysia and not Indonesia. The Star is one of the more popular paper in Malaysia. I'm a Malaysian and just came from there from my summer break.
Whoops. I was tired last night, and wrote that up in a hurry. :oops: My apologies.

--janak

[yslee]

To those screaming their heads off at the Europe list price of US$920 as the absolute truth:

I TOLD YOU SO :razz:

Also, S$980 for the iPAQ is only if you sign up for an unlimited GPRS plan costing S$113 per month (can you say ouch?). Otherwise it's S$1199 or something like that.

[jonathanchoo]

To those screaming their heads off at the Europe list price of US$920 as the absolute truth:

I TOLD YOU SO :razz:

Also, S$980 for the iPAQ is only if you sign up for an unlimited GPRS plan costing S$113 per month (can you say ouch?). Otherwise it's S$1199 or something like that.

US$920 equals GBP510. Considering that the XDA II (non contract) was trading for around the same price (the release price of h5500 was GBP600), that is a not so bad price for Europe. US and Asia based mobiles are always much cheaper than you would get from UK.

I expect it to cost GBP300 subsidised (the same price as the o2 XDA II) on a data plan.

About The Star, they have been printing articles on PDA phones and they have even said last month that the MpX might already be available. The writers of The Star get their source from the internet so don't take their articles too seriously.