WHEN A mobile phone brand was launched in the market in 2006, it prided itself on being the first and only Filipino brand that offered dual SIM mobility.
Instead of lugging around two phones daily, one could buy a My/Phone unit and easily switch from one SIM to another.
In the months following the launch, Solid Group, Inc., which distributes My/Phone, came out with different units. What linked them together and set them apart continued to be their dual SIM (subscriber identity module).
Fresh out of the box, the phones were shiny and new but strictly utilitarian. They had few of the bells and whistles most phone users have come to expect.
So it was quite a surprise when the brand announced that it was coming out with its first “fashion” phone complete with a glittery launch at Greenbelt 5 in Makati last week.
Unlike its utilitarian siblings, the S Q27 Duo is obviously geared towards women and is designed to remind one of a powder compact.
Instead of flipping it open, one swivels it in such a way to reveal a Qwerty keyboard.
In keeping with the compact angle, one side has a mirrored finish perfect for quick touch-ups. What its distributors are particularly proud of, however, are the Swarovski cubic zirconia stones that serve as the Menu and Call buttons.
In an interview with Jingo P. Fermin, president of Mytel Mobility Solutions, Inc. prior to the show, he told BusinessWorld that they came up with a fashion phone to show that they were ready to play with the big mobile phone players.
“Our phones all still offer dual SIM mobility but with the S Q27 Duo, we want to show potential customers that we can also do fashion,” Mr. Fermin said.
The unit is a tri-band phone with features like Bluetooth capability, a two-mega pixel camera and an FM radio. It has an expandable memory card slot of up to 8 GB. My/Phone’s first offering from its fashion series retails for P5,990. -- R. J. Chee Kee
