MANILA, Philippines –Technology giants CloudFone, Intel, and Globe Telecom joined forces to further grow tablet penetration in the country with the launch of the newest CloudFone Epic 7.0 Intel-powered tablet, signifying the first local tablet brand powered by Intel to be launched with a postpaid plan from Globe.
With the partnership, the technology giants unveiled the CloudFone Epic 7.0 Intel-powered tablet, available exclusively for free at Globe mySUPERPLAN 499 complete with a CloudFone Excite 400dx handset and Bluetooth keyboard. The postpaid plan comes with 100 MB of data, calls and texts to all networks, all-month access to productivity apps such as Gmail, Yahoo mail, and Evernote, and 10GB of Globe Cloud storage.
For only P499 a month, the smartphone-tablet-keyboard bundle will provide the most value for consumers seeking the best Internet experience on a 7-inch tablet screen, while providing a complete and reliable mobile productivity solution for customers.
As the fastest rising local brand, CloudFone is proud to tie-up with such industry giants as Globe and Intel, which signifies our strong commitment to the Philippine market and demonstrates our ability to develop world-class tablet and smartphone designs. – Eric Yu, CEO, CloudFone Philippines
CloudFone Epic 7.0 is equipped with dual core Intel Atom Z2520 processor in 1.2GHz, 8GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and can support external drives like Micro USB 2.0 and Micro SD. These functionalities deliver hours of productivity for home, school and business use with its smooth web browsing capacity and extensive battery life.
According to IDC, worldwide tablet shipments are expected to reach more than 350 million by the end of 2017. The strong demand for tablets and smartphones in the Philippines will prevail in 2014, with a 40% growth for tablet shipments to the Philippines forecasted in 2014 as both international and local players continue to grow the market. Filipinos patronize local brands more compared to neighboring countries in Asia, yet the Philippines still has a lot of room for growth in the tablet space. The growth will be largely be driven by smaller and lower-priced tablets, with one in every two tablets shipped in the first quarter of 2013 being below 8 inches in screen size. Shipments of smaller tablets will continue to increase as consumers realize that these small devices are often more ideal for their daily consumption habits.
Consumers also seek faster mobile performance for social networking and productivity; and as demand for tablets increase, greater demand for mobile internet will also ensue. Globe notes that the number of people using mobile Internet and data has doubled since offering its customers free access to Facebook. Its collaboration with Intel and CloudFone is expected to give Globe customers access to leading-edge tablet technology that offers the best browsing experience at a pocket-friendly price.
“As the fastest rising local brand, CloudFone is proud to tie-up with such industry giants as Globe and Intel, which signifies our strong commitment to the Philippine market and demonstrates our ability to develop world-class tablet and smartphone designs. We continue to explore different ways of offering the best devices through collaborations that make the best technology innovations available to more Filipinos than ever before,” said CloudFone CEO, Eric Yu.
“Intel has been seeing a growing demand in the local market for Intel-powered tablets and mobile devices that are equipped not only with stunning display features, long battery life and great performance but also attractively priced,” said Intel Philippine Country Manager Calum Chisholm. “This collaboration enables us to provide the best computing experience on a tablet coupled with great connectivity.”
“Globe is committed to enriching the digital lifestyle of today’s mobile phone users with groundbreaking partnerships and innovative offers. With this smartphone-tablet-keyboard bundle, customers can enjoy the latest mobile technologies at a price within reach. Customers can enjoy the amazing features of the devices and accessories powered by our largest 3G and 4G network, giving them the fastest and most seamless browsing experience,” said Raul Macatangay, Vice President of Postpaid Business and Devices at Globe. “Our partnership with Intel and CloudFone aims to address the growing tablet space and we look forward to reinforcing this partnership to include more compelling devices with our postpaid plans in the future.”
Globe is the first telecommunications company in the Philippines to achieve 100% 3G and 4G HSPA+ coverage for its entire network nationwide, providing its customers with high-speed wireless internet for faster data interchange on their mobile devices. With the HSPA+ technology, customers have access to faster data connectivity even as they use bandwidth-intensive multimedia data applications, such as video and photography.
Cloudfone Epic 7.0 specs
- 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Clover Trail Plus Z2520
- 1GB of RAM
- 7-inch WSVGA capacitive LCD display, 1024 x 600 resolution
- 8GB of storage expandable via microSD up to 32GB
- WiFi, Bluetooth, USB OTG
- 2-megapixel rear camera
- VGA front camera
- Android 4.4 KitKat
- 3000mAh battery
Photo: unbox.ph