LOCAL telecom players remain aggressive in competing in the postpaid mobile market as they offer the latest Apple iPhone devices.
Globe Telecom Inc. has expanded the launch of the latest iPhone 16 from 10 stores last year to 13 stores across the entire country this year.
Third telco player DITO Telecommunity Corp., meanwhile, is targeting to close the deal with Apple to be able to launch the latest iPhone devices by next year.
Eric Tanbauco, Globe head of consumer mobile business, said in an interview on the sidelines of Globe’s launch last Thursday, the company is optimistic to exceed the number of iPhone devices sold last year.
“We expect to see good numbers as you know the Filipinos are excited about the new iPhone and we are expecting new numbers again,” he said, but declined to give a specific figure.
Globe was the first telco to launch the iPhone in the Philippines in 2008.
“Tonight, 16 years and 16 Apple phone iterations later, we are celebrating another milestone as we launch the iPhone 16 at midnight. We are excited to roll out exclusive and innovative offers to make the iPhone more accessible,” Tanbauco said during the launch last week.
PLDT Inc. wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. also had a midnight launch last October 17 at SM Mega Mall.
DITO, which currently has 13 million mobile subscribers, expects to further expand its postpaid business next year with the launch of iPhone devices for its subscribers.
Currently, the DITO subscriber identity module (SIM) could be used on iPhone devices but requires subscribers to manually change the settling.
As of the end of June, the combined mobile subscriber base of Smart, Globe and DITO reached over 130 million, of which 4 percent or around 5 million subscribers are postpaid and the remaining are prepaid subscribers.
In a related development, Globe has launched a trade-in program in partnership with tech e-store CompAsia that allows both new and re-contracting Globe Postpaid customers to exchange their old devices for cashback.
The program covers iPhone, Samsung and Huawei mobile devices.
Globe said the program is a key part of its advocacy for device circularity to minimize e-waste, in line with its Net Zero commitments.
Trade-ins give new life to old phones that would have been shelved or discarded, and using refurbished phones has an 87 percent lower climate impact than new devices, according to the GSMA.
“We are proud of our enduring partnership with Globe for a device circularity program that minimizes e-waste and its impact on the planet. Through our partnership, we implement a Trade-In Program that offers a sustainable solution by giving your old iPhones a new lease on life. Instead of discarding your device, trade it in, and receive cashback when you get the new iPhone 16 to offset your Globe Postpaid bill,” Henry Ng, CompAsia associate director, Group Buyback & Trade-In, said in a statement.
