CHINESE computer giant Lenovo on Friday announced its entry to the highly competitive Philippine mobile phone market, saying it is aiming for nearly a third of the market next year.
In a briefing, Ling Qi, general manager of Lenovo Mobile Communications Technology Ltd.’s overseas department, told reporters that it has entered an exclusive partnership with Open Communications Inc. to market its affordable mobile phone handsets in the Philippines.

The Philippines is Lenovo’s fourth foreign market in Asia after Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Lenovo is the third-largest mobile brand in China after Nokia and Samsung.

“We are expanding our mobile phone business worldwide . . . We are focusing in Asia like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines,” Qi said.

Since the company started manufacturing mobile phones in 2002, “we are now doing 1.2 million phones each month,” Qi said.

Hyancinth Serrano, Open Communications business unit head said the new partnership will allow the company to enhance the fast growing mobile phone market in the Philippines.

“There’s a perception that its already a saturated market, but through our experience the telco industry has been growing year on year. We believe that there’s always a room for another brand,” Serrano said.

Serrano said Lenovo and Open Communications expect to get at least 30 percent of the Philippine market by the end of next year.

“With our nationwide network of more than 2,000 mobile phone retailers, warehouse facilities and dynamic sales force, I want to assure our partners that we can help establish Lenovo Mobile as the top-of-mind brand when it comes to quality and affordability,” Serrano said.

Serrano said the company is in talks with Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecom and Sun Cellular to offer Lenovo mobile phone handsets to their subscribers.

“In the coming months, we will be in partnership for at least one or two. We are already in discussion with these companies,” she added.

Lenovo mobile phones that will be rolled out next week in Manila are the A60 Android Touch screen phone, A336 gamer phone, E156 bar phone, Q330 QWERTY phone, Q350 Internet phone and S300 stylish phone. Prices would be below P10,000.