European mobile brand Prestigio enters Phl

European mobile phone brand Prestigio has entered the Philippine market as part of its aim to expand its global reach.

Sergey Bezruchenok, product development manager at Prestigio Global, said in a statement the company decided to launch its products in the Philippines as it sees opportunity in this fastgrowing and competitive smartphone market.

“The Philippines is our very first official distributor in Asia, demonstrating our confidence that we will be able to extend our global reach into the Filipino mobile market. After seeing Prestigio gain strong traction in several markets as a credible alternative to established brands at extremely competitive prices, we now look forward to replicating its success in the Philippines,” he said.

Veracity Mobile, the official distributor of the European brand in the Philippines, is aiming to capture one percent of the domestic smartphone market within the year.

“We came in late into the game, the second half of the year. Based on industry trending in terms of smartphone sales, I would think hitting a percent or near one percent of the total market share would be good for us,” Veracity Mobile managing partner Jojit Alcazar told reporters during the launch.

Capturing one percent of the market would mean selling 35,000 to 50,000 units this year.

For next year, Alcazar said the aim is to double Prestigio’s market share to two percent to three percent.

The company hopes to attract consumers in the middle segment looking for smartphones offering competitive features at much affordable prices.

Prestigio’s smartphone line is composed of the 3 Series Multiphone 3450 Duo, 3502 Duo, 5 Series Multiphone 5454 Duo, 5550 Duo and 5508 Duo which all run on Android and the Windows Phone 8.1 Multiphone 8500 Duo.

The smartphones are available at a price range of P5,699 up to P13,899.

The smartphones can be purchased online through Lazada or by visiting multi-brand retailers.

Veracity Mobile chairman and president Arnold Jimenez said the company is looking to partner with telecommunication firms Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. to promote the products.

The company also plans to launch other Prestigio products such as tablets by the fourth quarter and healthcare wearables in the future.

With the Philippines being the first market for Prestigio in Asia, Jimenez said Veracity Mobile would likewise be interested in introducing the products in other Southeast Asian countries.

“The initial plan is to try it out in the Philippines and moving forward, look into the possibility of growing it in other regions such as (the) Asean market,” he said.

Apart from the Philippines, Prestigio is currently being sold in 70 countries in Europe, Middle East and Africa.