Siemens C45 launched for mid-low users in Asia, U.S.
By K. Basrie
ISTANBUL (JP): The mobile phone division of the German electronics giant Siemens has launched its latest cellular, which is more fun, trendy and user-friendly compared to more rigid designs of the past, in one of its effort to grab a larger segment of the mid-low range mobile customers in the emerging markets of Asia and the States.
In front of some 200 journalists representing different countries in Asia and Europe, Peter Zapf, president of Munich- based Siemens Mobile, said that the C45 cellular is mainly aimed at young people and female mobile phone users.
"This C45 is designed to develop the young and colorful trendsetter ... and understands what customers need in their business and private life," Zapf said at the international launch in Turkey.
Unlike its previous cellular generation, the fashionable phone new, which comes in dual band (EGSM 900 and GSM 1800), provides greater possibilities for users to explore their own personality.
In addition to the choice of eight vibrant and contemporary exchangeable covers, customers can also download ring tones, bitmaps and screen savers, as well as creating personalized covers through www.my-siemens.com.
In Indonesia, the new Siemens product will hit the market sometime in late October, according to Robby Darmasetiawan, general manager for the mobile devices unit at PT Dian Graha Elektrika (DGE), the sole distributor of Siemens AG in Indonesia.
"The price will be between Rp 1.5 million (about US$165) and Rp 2 million each," said Robby, who also attended the launch at the Esma Sultan Palace overlooking the Bosphorus Strait.
He firmly believes that the C45 will meet the needs of the low and mid-low range market of mobile consumers in Indonesia who currently represent 60 percent of Siemens mobile phone users.
In terms of sales, Siemens is now number two in Indonesia with 27 percent market share, still well behind Nokia, which holds 47 percent of the total pie. In 2000 alone, DGE managed to sell some 100,000 units.
"We predict that this year we could double the sales to 200,000 and next year jump to 350,000 units," Robby said. Besides introducing the new product, DGE also continues efforts to provide high-quality customer satisfaction through after-sales service at its customer care outlets.
With a standby time of up to 220 hours and talk time of 5 hours, the 103-gram cell phone is installed with WAP browser 1.2 for Internet access and a 5-line high resolution graphic display screen for games and SMS.
The C45, which measures 109mm x 46mm x 23mm (L x W x H), is already equipped with three new games: BattleMail, Stack Attack and Balloon Shooter. BattleMail can be played with two Siemens handsets, just like using SMS.
First buyers around the world will get free access to the www.my-siemens.com where they can download ring tones, bitmaps and screen savers for free and design and order their own design covers at 65 euros each. Following that, each download will cost 1.5 euros each.
Georges Boulloy, senior vice president for product operation at Siemens' head office, denies that Siemens, which has previously been renowned for its rigid design, has imitated the success of its competitors in producing easy-to-use and trendy mobile phones. He also said that Siemens' phones are designed to meet all markets worldwide, not just one specific market.
"It's not true that we adapt our phones to Asia (only). We actually want to design our phones together with Asian requirements. And we're making the mobile phones and testing them worldwide; three countries in Asia, four in Europe and one in the States," Boulloy said.
The C45, he added, will also be offered to the U.S. markets, where Siemens' market share is still "less than 0.01 percent".
"For us, Asia is still the prime market for our products and we're now number three there. It's the fastest growing market right now, with 30 percent growth on an annual basis," Boulloy explained.