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3G is especially useful here in Hong Kong, as three has launched its unlimited web browsing and msn messenger plans, it simply rocks!
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Posted: 2007-01-27 09:53:00
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In the Middle East; phones are bought on the following basis:
1. How new is it
2. How "pretty" (for girls) or "flashy" (for guys) is it
3. Nokia or Other
4. Arabic language support
Let me explain:
1. Telephones in the Middle East are almost always released in Dubai first. So what happens in Kuwait (and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain) is that people fly into Dubai for the weekend, grab the hottest phone from the duty free shops and fly back. They usually pay quite a premium. In my experience, the starting price for a 3G camera phone is in the $900+ range, depending on model. The newer the phone, the more desirable it is the more its value is inflated during the first week of release. i-mate JASJAM (HTC TyTn). When released: $1,400. After one week: $1,312. After two weeks: $900.
2. Girls usually go for the designer phones, guys usually go for the gaudy phones. I suppose this is normal everywhere.
3. Nokia has a stranglehold in the ME. So much so that you can't even find accessories for other brands. There are a few SE shops (1 authorized in Kuwait); compare that to Nokia that has three authorized dealers and service providers. Another reason its so popular is because it provides default Arabic support.
SMS is king here in Kuwait and also in the Middle East. There are more SMS-based services here than you can shake a stick at. I spoke once with a Nokia engineer (who was flying back to Dubai). He was in Kuwait upgrading the servers that form the backend for SMS services for one of the providers. He told me that in his experience going to countries and installing SMS hardware/software; he has never seen more widespread use of SMS than in the Middle East.
3G is available, but data rates are quite expensive. The volume is capped at 1GB on the most expensive plan. Video calling is also charged at a premium rate.
Most people don't really know that they have a phone with 3G or video calling services; all they know is, its the latest Nokia.
Of course the flip side to all this Nokia love is that you can get SE phones quite cheap here. Especially 'barely used ones'. I have witnessed it myself. I was in a shop browsing for a new phone. A guy walked in, returned his still-in-box P990. The reason? He didn't realize it didn't support Arabic. It also was not a Nokia. He just bought it 4 hours back.
The brand new all accessories -- other than the battery and travel charger were still in their wrapping; manual book was not even opened. The shopkeeper sold the P990 (used) for $100 less than the boxed one.
Gotta love it
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Posted: 2007-02-01 07:26:33
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I use 3G everyday.
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Posted: 2007-02-01 08:10:14
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I would love having a 3g network here in El Salvador
Hoping that someday it could become available here!
[ This Message was edited by: joe_pf on 2007-02-02 03:47 ]
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Posted: 2007-02-02 04:45:47
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I'm using 3G right now
Hook up your phone to a computer and surf wirelessly anywhere, but unlike GPRS, a 3G connection is much faster!
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Posted: 2007-04-22 12:41:36
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since i bought my k800i, i have used 3G (mostly internet) liberally... i live in manila philippines and prior to 3G technology, mobile networks here only have 2.5G service, namely GPRS... we dont have EDGE here, so a 3G rollout has been a great help for most info-hungry mobile users awating a faster, more reliable connection than GPRS.
although i must say, since 3G is relatively new here (just launched Q2 2006), service outside the metropolitan area is patchy if not absent.
[ This Message was edited by: keight00i on 2007-04-22 15:16 ]
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Posted: 2007-04-22 16:14:59
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I for one think 3G is brilliant and within 4-5years wireless 3G or 4G data access will surpass home broadband connections! The only pearson i think this is because of our need for wireless internet at home, which is restricted to us being within our houses and the growin market for laptops-with the best will in the world, i can't make my Netgear router push a signal more than 100m's! Ha however, my t-mobile usb modem gives me a 1.8mb connection pretty much everywhere! :-)
This message was posted from a WAP device
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Posted: 2007-04-22 17:53:47
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I have a 3G
Vodem which plus into a USB port on my laptop. No more landline! Yippee!
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Posted: 2007-04-23 08:09:27
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I also used the 3G service as my internet connection before.
very good indeed. Thats probably the only thing that makes me miss my K800.
@keight
AFAIK, SMART has EDGE on their network...
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Posted: 2007-04-23 08:21:24
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Some time this year we're getting a new mobile provider here in Egypt, Etisalat is the name like the UAE. And they're bringing HSDPA. I really could care less all I'm hoping for is better prices on everything espesially data and SMS. The current prices on our duapoly are just rediculous. And even funnier is that they are exactly the same prices from when they introduced SMS and GPRS. Actually prepaid isn't that bad off as we never got a price hike, post paid used to have data that was 33% cheaper than prepaid but now they're the same. People only really use a service when it gets cheaper which never happens. So hopefully we'll get better prices soon and be able to use everything.
I'm currently on vodafone and the accuired a 3g licence too. So how's voda when it comes to HSDPA? Is it rolling it out or no?
And I guess by next year we'll have all three operators with 3g, the gouvernment is trying to screw our other network Mobinil by trying to get them to pay for a 3g licence just to install edge. Of course with edge and base 3g being quite close in data rates and in 2009 Ericsson will be boosting edge to 1Mbps it could be reasonable if there were no HSDPA.
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Posted: 2007-04-23 09:04:56
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