Filipino phone maker Starmobile expands nationwide

Starmobile factory

Starmobile, the mobile subsidiary of Filipino technology company Star Telecom Alliance Resources, Inc., said its devices are now available in over 900 sari-sari stores nationwide.

“By making Starmobile phones available in sari-sari stores all over the country, we are making it more convenient for Filipinos from all walks of life to avail of affordably-priced mobile devices,” said Starmobile sales and marketing head Ardie Balderrama. “At the same time, it also allows us to work with and empower micro enterprises within communities.”

Starmobile products are now available in Mr. D in Atimonan, Quezon, Double Barrel in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Abay Sari-Sari Store in Naga City, Bicol and in several other outlets in Quezon City such as Hi ACE Sari Sari Store San Bartolome, Novaliches and CJ Loading Station Pingkian Sauyo, Novaliches.

Devices sold in these stores include the UNO feature phones and the entry-level PLAY and UP series android smartphones.

To support the small business owners, Starmobile provides in-depth training and assists them with on-ground marketing activities such as setting up store signages, storefront materials, and posters. The company has begun bolstering its presence in Smart and Sun Cellular Satellite Stores and Transport Groups nationwide.

New marketing materials are now visible in Davao City, Gen. Trias in Cavite, and Bauan and Batangas City in Batangas.

Established in 2011, Starmobile is the mobile devices division of Star Inc. which was founded by telco industry experts with extensive experience in retail and product development. Since it first offered Android devices, Starmobile has officially become the winningest Philippine smartphone brand with a slew of innovation awards from reputable media outfits. The company’s flagship KNIGHT series, has won top awards since 2013—a feat that has not been replicated by any local device company.

In 2016, the company introduced mobile accessories brand JUMPU, at the same time it was appointed as a Philippine distributor for global networking brand TP-LINK.

Starmobile started the assembly of 20,000 units of the UNO B208 featurephone in a facility in Calamba, Laguna in June 2017. The ground-breaking effort officially made Starmobile the first Filipino brand to assemble mobile phones locally.

“Since we started five years ago, it has been the company’s goal to contribute to the local economy and provide employment by assembling phones in the Philippines,” said Starmobile COO Michael Chen. “Aside from bringing us a step closer to our dream of building up the Philippines an important player in the global tech scene, this will also benefit our bottom line, as it will result in more cost and time-efficient logistics and shipment around the country. In addition, because we will have parts and an assembly facility locally, we expect this to improve our after-sales support for our customers,” Chen said.

While smartphones are more popular than ever in the Philippines, the demand for basic call-and-text feature phones still thrives in the country. Their affordability allows them to be great daily drivers for a large segment of the population, while their focused call-and-text services and compact screens allow them to be very power efficient.

The facility can assemble a minimum of 1,000 units per day.

The Starmobile UNO B208 is a dual-SIM feature phone with an FM radio, camera with flash, expandable memory, flashlight, multimedia playback, and a battery life of up to two days. It is available in red, blue, or black.

30 May 2018

 

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