Posts Tagged ‘pricing’

ITG xpPhone Pricing Options Explained

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

As a follow up to my last post about the different pricing for the ITG xpPhone in this post, here’s another post explaining the differences in the range of pricing options for the device.  There are three pricing options – RMB 2,999, RMB 3,500 and RMB 3,999 (RM 1,492, RM 1,742, RM 1,990).  The cheapest option doesn’t have the 3G module inside – which means no voice nor data calls, so it will function as a mobile internet device (MID) only (heck, I wouldn’t even call it a MID, because it doesn’t have embedded 3G!).  The middle option does come with the 3G module, so it will function as a phone as well as a MID, but it will only come with DOS, while the most expensive option will come with 3G as well as Windows Embedded Standard (WES) 2009, which will function like Windows XP – so, there’s no point trying to save a little money getting the DOS version and having to hunt down the WES software to install, because it’s really hard to find, trust me!

If it ever came to Malaysia with some form of official support, at RM 1,990, it’s quite cheap for a dual OS machine that I would probably be interested enough to get one for its novelty value.  One strange thing I found about the 3G specifications is that it only supports EV-DO which is the standard used in the US and not Asia.  I’m wondering how the mainland Chinese as well as Hongkong residents are going to be able to utilise it fully, given that Hongkong uses the GSM/UMTS standard which is a different standard compared to EV-DO?

Source.

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The Latest Samsung Phones Priced…But Is It Reliable?

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

samsung-logoOne of my newshounds stumbled upon the pricing of the latest Samsung phones on one of their newly appointed distributors’ website recently, and I must say that the pricing of the Omnia 2 (Windows Mobile) and i8910 HD (Symbian) is turning out to be a shocker.  I say shocker because the pricing seems to diverge quite widely from the Singapore pricing.  I’ve always assumed that the prices of phones here and in Singapore be approximate, ie. close to each other, due to the geographical proximity of both countries.  After all, if there’s a large gulf, there is an opportunity for people to make money, something akin to “arbitrage” in stock trading, I think.  Granted, if you buy a cheaper Singapore set, you will not enjoy the warranty in Malaysia, but Singapore is only a short hop away on the plane, and flight tickets to Singapore are cheap nowadays!

So, here’s the pricing for the Omnia 2, an eagerly awaited phone by many in Malaysia, as well as the i8910 HD.

  1. Omnia 2: 8Gb RM 2,550, 16Gb RM 2,699
  2. i8910 HD: 8Gb RM 2,750, 16Gb RM 2,899

Now, those are very expensive prices!  I am quite flabbergasted actually.  It’s definitely going to be a very hard sell, especially with the new 16Gb Apple iPhone3GS selling at RM 2,490 for the contract free version.  So, knowing these prices, would you still buy either an Omnia 2 or an i8910 HD?  Click the image below for a larger version.

samsung-phone-pricing-brightstar-august-2009

Source.  Thanks, skeelee!

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Apple Hongkong iPhone3GS Pricing

Friday, July 10th, 2009

apple-iphone-3gsThe Apple Store in Hongkong announced the pricing for both the 16Gb and 32Gb iPhone3GS today in the online store.  And it’s really cheap.  Really cheap because it is selling for the price of the existing 8Gb model on sale in Malaysia, the “quasi-unlocked” version from Maxis, which is currently selling for RM 2,540.  The prices of the iPhone3GS Hongkong setsare as follows:

  1. 16Gb HKD$ 5,388 (RM 2,483)
  2. 32Gb HK$ 6,288 (RM 2,903)

apple-store-hongkong-iphone3gs

I believe that no one carrier has the exclusive rights to carry the 3GS in Hongkong – this is what it says in the Apple online store:

iPhone 3G & iPhone 3GS purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier. Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS and connect to iTunes 8.2 to complete activation.

Looks like Hongkong will be another very attractive source for the new 3GS, if the Maxis plans are not attractive to you.  Fly with AirAsia to Macau, take a day trip to Hongkong, buy the 3GS, come back the next day, and I believe you may still end up saving money!

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Of Smartphone Comparisons And Price Differentials In ASEAN

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

smartphonesAs usual, I was randomly surfing the interwebs the whole of today and I stumbled upon two Philippines websites.  One of them carried a comparison between the major smartphones on the market today – an objective comparison covering the specifications only, no subjective opinions.  The other covered the pricing of one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year – the Samsung i8910 HD – which is already on the local Samsung website but unfortunately is taking its sweet time, like the bride on her wedding reception, to make an appearance in the shops.

Here’s a comparison from the first website:

smartphone-specification-comparison-magic-i8910hd-n97-iphone3gs-arenaNote the pricing of the various smartphones in the table – in this case, we’re interested in two – the Nokia N97 and the Samsung i8910 HD.  The N97 costs PHP₱ 34,000, which is approximately RM 2,502.  Now, this is very close to the Malaysia standard retail pricing, which is RM 2,480.  The i8910 HD 8Gb model is selling for PHP₱ 32,000, which is approximately RM 2,355.  Now, compare this to the rumoured RM 2,899 pricing for the 8Gb model in Malaysia – this is indeed a BIG difference, for two countries within the ASEAN region.  Even if we take the pricing of the 16Gb model of the i8910 HD in the Philippines, at PHP₱ 36,000, approximately RM 2,648, it is still cheaper than the pricing of the 8Gb model in Malaysia!  So, I wonder – what gives?  If the rumoured pricing of the i8910 HD is true (and I have no reason at the moment to believe that it is not), then why are Malaysians paying so much more for the i8910?  It’s very perplexing, to say the least.

So, I hope that Samsung Malaysia is reconsidering its pricing strategy for the i8910 HD vis-a-vis the competition, given this information.  I’d like it to sell closer to the price of the Nokia N97, even for the 8Gb model.  At least at that price point, a more meaningful comparison can be made.  At the rumoured pricing point for Malaysia, no matter how good the hardware or technical specifications of the i8910 HD are over the N97, the price delta is simply too great, and it makes decision making really easy for the majority of the undecided.

As for the other phones, the one that gets our attention is the pricing for the new Apple iPhone3GS, at PHP₱ 38,850, approximately RM 2,857 for the 16Gb version.  I guess this is the closest indication yet of what the 3GS may cost, unlocked/contract-free/SIM free if it launches closer to home, whether in Singapore or here at home.  The iPhone3GS is expected to be released on 31st July in the Philippines.

Here’s another Philippines website which backs up the pricing of the Samsung i8910 HD of the first website above.

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Windows 7 Pricing Revealed [UPDATE 2]

Friday, June 26th, 2009

[UPDATE 2] Updated with Asus’ upgrade program.
[UPDATE] Updated with information on Dell’s upgrade offer.

official-windows-logo-7As we all know by now, Windows 7 will be made generally available (GA) come Oct 22nd this year, which is only a couple of months away, and yesterday Microsoft revealed the pricing for the latest and greatest of Microsoft’s operating systems, both for upgrading from Vista and XP, and also the full retail pack.  Click here for the Windows 7 microsite which talks about the upgrade pricing.  In summary, here is the pricing scheme (note: pricing is for US only, and will likely differ in each country):

  • Windows 7 Home Premium (Upgrade): $119.99
  • Windows 7 Professional (Upgrade): $199.99
  • Windows 7 Ultimate (Upgrade): $219.9

The price of the full retail pack is:

  • Windows 7 Home Premium (Full): $199.99
  • Windows 7 Professional (Full): $299.99
  • Windows 7 Ultimate (Full): $319.99

Source (official Windows team blog).  There will be special offers during a pre-order period when the price will be much lower than quoted above – check here for details.  The pre-order prices are: Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49 or a Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $99.

A quick check on the local Microsoft Malaysia website did not show any indication of any special pricing nor special pre-orders for Windows 7.  Perhaps this will come later.  If a media representative from Microsoft Malaysia would like to drop a line regarding what’s happening in Malaysia, I’d appreciate it.

Also, this pricing is in stark contrast to what Apple is charging for its latest operating system, called “Snow Leopard” due soon – US$ 29 for upgrades, and US$ 129 for full retail packs.  I guess that if much of your revenue comes from software you have to charge more for it compared to the competition, and this is what Microsoft is probably doing.

Finally, HP became the first major name manufacturer to announce that all PCs bought from June 26th to October 22nd will qualify for free upgrades to Windows 7 when it is available.  Click here for details (for Malaysia).  Not all models are covered, here is a list as of today, from HP’s website:

Notebooks & Tablet PCs
Consumer Notebooks

  • Compaq Presario CQ20
  • Compaq Presario CQ40
  • Compaq Presario CQ45
  • Compaq Presario CQ60
  • HP HDX X16
  • HP HDX X18
  • HP Pavilion dv2
  • HP Pavilion dv3600
  • HP Pavilion dv3700
  • HP Pavilion dv4
  • HP Pavilion dv5
  • HP Pavilion dv6
  • HP Pavilion dv7
  • HP Pavilion tx2
  • HP Touch Smart tx2
  • HP Pavilion dv3

Business Notebooks

  • HP EliteBook 8730w Mobile Workstation
  • HP EliteBook 8530w Mobile Workstation
  • HP EliteBook 8530p Notebook PC
  • HP EliteBook 6930p Notebook PC
  • HP EliteBook 2730p Notebook PC
  • HP EliteBook 2530p Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 6445b Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 6545b Notebook PC
  • HP Compaq 6730b Notebook PC
  • HP Compaq 6530b Notebook PC
  • HP Compaq 6735b Notebook PC
  • HP Compaq 6535b Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 4710s Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 4410s Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 4411s Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 4510s Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 4415s Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 4416s Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 4515s Notebook PC
  • HP ProBook 4310s Notebook PC
  • HP Compaq 2230s Notebook PC
  • HP550 Notebook PC
  • HP540 Notebook PC
  • HP541 Notebook PC
  • Compaq 510 Notebook PC
  • Compaq 511 Notebook PC
  • Compaq 610 Notebook PC
  • Compaq 515 Notebook PC
  • Compaq 516 Notebook PC
  • HP Probook 5310 Notebook PC
  • HP mini 5101 Notebook PC
  • HP mini 1101 Notebook PC

Desktop & All-in-One PCs
Consumer Desktops

  • HP TouchSmart IQ528d PC
  • HP TouchSmart IQ518d PC
  • HP Pavilion Elite m9491d PC
  • HP Pavilion Elite m9492d PC
  • HP Pavilion p6150d PC
  • HP Pavilion Slimline s3681d PC
  • HP Pavilion Slimline s3881d PC
  • HP Pavilion Slimline s5189d PC
  • Compaq Presario SR5780D PC
  • HP Pavilion p6145d PC
  • HP Pavilion a6665d PC
  • HP Pavilion Elite m9698d PC
  • HP Pavilion Elite m9788d PC

Business Desktop

  • HP Compaq dx2390 MicroTower PC
  • HP Compaq dx2310 MicroTower PC
  • HP Compaq dx2355 MicroTower PC
  • HP Compaq dx2810 MicroTower PC
  • HP Compaq dx2810 Small Form Factor PC
  • HP Compaq dx7510 MicroTower PC
  • HP Compaq dx7510 Small Form Factor PC
  • HP Compaq dc5800 MicroTower PC
  • HP Compaq dc5800 Small Form Factor PC
  • HP Compaq dc5850 MicroTower PC
  • HP Compaq dc5850 Small Form Factor PC
  • HP Compaq dc7900 MicroTower PC
  • HP Compaq dc7900 Small Form Factor PC
  • HP Compaq dc7900 UltraSlim Desktop PC

Personal Workstations
Personal Workstation

  • HP xw4600 Workstation
  • HP xw9400 Workstation
  • HP xw6600 Workstation
  • HP xw8600 Workstation
  • HP Z400 Workstation
  • HP Z600 Workstation
  • HP Z800 Workstation

And here’s the offer from Dell:

dell-windows-7-upgrade-devices

And here’s Asus’ upgrade program.  Pity only two eeePC models are covered – the 1101HA and 1105HA.

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