Legendary Brands

Globe Telecom has been victorious for bringing the iPhone 3G first here in the Philippines. I first knew of this when I saw the news on the digital board along Ayala Avenue. And so as I am writing this, I bet their business centers are all swamped with long lines of customers anxious and excited to get their hands on the new hip gadget.


Late last year, my elder sister purchased the first generation version of iPhone. When I first saw it and held it, the feel is firm and sturdy in built, form and design. Of course, without a need for elaborating on its features, it is considered my many as the most complete multimedia tool out there. To translate, I am impressed of course with Apple's ingenuity to combine a computer, iPod, and mobile phone into one sleek techie toy. Nokia, on the other hand, boasts of the same ingenuity. My N82 has been performing beyond my expectations as a 5-megapixel camera phone with integrated music player, making me a complete and fulfilled user. The Blackberry, on the other hand, is something I really wish for, maybe in the future. By its looks, I'd say I will have fun time experimenting on its QWERTY keypad and its smartphone features.

In the end, I think it always boils down to our choice of mobile necessity whether we look at it as simple or revolutionary, and the way we communicate as phone users, from simple texting, to calling, video messaging and sending electronic mail.

The `Aifung'

Lookit, the iPhone and the aifung (iPhone clone)!



News came out last September 12 that market stalls in Taipei have started selling these knock-offs for an absolutely low price since December of last year, six months before the iPhone debuted in the United States. The Apple logo and the touch-screen functionality looks like the real thing. Apple, however, intends to offer iPhones in Asia not until 2008.

The i-clones are produced in batches of 1,000 at a factory in Shenzhen, China. This manufacturer describes that he advertises his phones over the Internet and sells them for 8,900 New Taiwan dollars, or $270.

Now Steve Jobs cut the price of the top iPhone to $399, a $200 reduction.

The i-clone maker says of his production, "The hard part is the design and the exterior." He also mentioned that his operation has sold more than 10,000 clones in Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States.

But Apple is not the only victim. An analyst in London said that the fakes come with labels like "Nokian", imitating the brand of Nokia, the world's biggest cellphone maker, and "Snog Ericsson", a corruption of the Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications' trademark."

News source: Bloomberg (Photo by Ubergizmo)