Cell phone producers compete over designs<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
This has been quite a busy month for cell phone makers.<\/p>\n
First, earlier this month, global leader Nokia launched its
\nlatest model, the 6600. Several days later, SonyEricsson unveiled
\nits latest model.<\/p>\n
Samsung, the South Korean electronic giant, which has never
\nconcealed its ambition to become a leader in the cell phone
\nbusiness, both in the world and in Indonesia, followed suit
\nseveral days later with an extravagant product launch aired live
\non local television, featuring Indonesian celebrities.<\/p>\n
With a population of more than 220 million and cell phone
\nusers accounting for only 9 percent of the population, Indonesia
\ncertainly has huge market potential for cell phone makers.<\/p>\n
Since they were was first introduced in Indonesia about eight
\nyears ago, mobile phones now feature among the most popular
\ncommunications devices in the country, with users ranging from
\nbusinesspeople and high school students to housemaids.<\/p>\n
The number of cell phone users is expected to soar to 18
\nmillion by the end of this year, up from 11.4 million last year,
\naccording to the Indonesian Association of Cellular
\nTelecommunications (ATSI). In comparison, fixed-line users now
\ntotal only 8 million.<\/p>\n
All cell phone producers appear to be equally capable in terms
\nof technological sophistication. Therefore, they seek to attract
\nbuyers through the design or appearance of their product.<\/p>\n
A variety of designs are available on the market, from
\n"powder compact", better known as the clamshell design, to the
\nconservative, but popular "candybar" or monoblock design.<\/p>\n
SonyEricsson country manager Alino Sugianto believes the
\nclamshell design will have a bright future in Indonesia, as it
\nhas become very popular in China and Taiwan.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, SonyEricsson introduced four new handsets,
\nincluding two clamshell types, the Z200 and Z600.<\/p>\n
The Z600 is equipped with a gameboard for game lovers and a
\nbuilt-in antenna.<\/p>\n
Separately, Samsung Electronics marketing manager Ade
\nKurniawan said the clamshell type was popular for the high-end
\nmarket because it looked "elegant."<\/p>\n
The Korean brand, quite popular with its clamshell products,
\ntargets the middle to high-end market.<\/p>\n
This month, the firm introduced the SGH-E700 in clamshell
\ndesign with a camera capability of 15 multishots and zoom
\ncapability of up to five levels. This SGH-E700 is priced at Rp
\n4.25 million (US$500).<\/p>\n
Robby Darmasetiawan, general manager of PT Dian Graha
\nElektrika, which distributes Siemens cellphones, said the
\nclamshell design was popular only in China.<\/p>\n
"People here still prefer the candybar design for its
\npracticality and sturdiness," he said.<\/p>\n
For years, Siemens has consistently turned out candybar design
\nmobile phones.<\/p>\n
A similar opinion was also expressed by Hasan Aula, general
\nmanager of Nokia Indonesia. He also believed that Indonesian
\npeople preferred the candybar design rather than the clamshell
\nfor its simplicity.<\/p>\n
No official data is available on the sales achieved by each
\ncell phone producer. However, industry players agree that Nokia
\nstill holds the lion's share of the market at the moment,
\nfollowed either by SonyEricsson or Samsung. The fourth position
\nis occupied by Siemens.<\/p>\n
Next year, all producers are optimistic of raising sales by 30
\npercent to 50 percent.<\/p>\n
All producers believe that Indonesian cell phone users love to
\ndiscard their old cell phones for the latest models, even though
\nnot all features on the products are usable due to the inability
\nof local operators to provide compatible technology.<\/p>\n
Marketing communications manager of SonyEricsson Meiske
\nSuryadinata said Asian people, including Indonesians, differed
\nfrom Europeans or Americans in their desire to change handsets.<\/p>\n
"That is why handsets that offer changeable casings are always
\nvery popular in Asia. A new casing can make a handset look
\ncompletely new," she said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian mobile phone subscriber growth<\/p>\n
Year Subscribers<\/p>\n
2003 18 million (est.)<\/p>\n
2002 11.4 million<\/p>\n
2001 6.7 million<\/p>\n
2000 2 million<\/p>\n
1999 1.1 million<\/p>\n
1998 1.1 million<\/p>\n
1997 1 million<\/p>\n
Source: Indonesian Association of Cellular Telecommunications (ATSI)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cell-phone-producers-compete-over-designs-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }