International cellular giant Motorola has returned to SA, signing an exclusive deal with MTN to bring its Milestone handset to SA consumers.
The company has been quiet since the beginning of the recession, and its latest phone marks its re-entrance into the local market. “Hello again. We are making a big comeback to SA,” says Mahmoud Sayed Ahmed, marketing director for the region.
The phone, called the Milestone locally, and the Droid in the US, has become known as the company's best effort since its popular Razr series of devices. Based on Google's cellular software, Android, it is tipped to be the best possible competitor to Apple's iPhone.
Sayed Ahmed says the company's re-entry into the South African market has not been a boom. “We are now re-engaging with the local channel, and we have been diligent in our discussions,” he adds.
He says the deal with MTN just reinforces the power of the brand. “There hasn't been a red carpet, but having MTN back on board is a good deal for us,” he notes.
While the company does have a solid deal with MTN, it says it is not ruling out other possible players in the local market as channel partners. “For the time being it will be exclusive, but we are keeping our options open.”
MTN has also been looking for a smartphone edge in SA, since iPhone deals with Vodacom. The Milestone is possibly MTN's best bet for an exclusive deal with a company; however, Android phones are typically more popular among the technology savvy consumers.
The device itself comes with all the expected bells and whistles of the smartphone generation of devices. It allows for full-screen Web browsing, which many other smart devices don't allow, and also provides a layer of application multitasking, something lacking on many devices in the local market.
For users looking to add application functionality, the company says Google's application shop will be available from the device.
MTN's primary package for the device will be its Anytime 200 contract option, and the phone will retail at R289 per month. Price details on an outright purchase are not yet available.
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