Smart Comm. is set to announce its own branded Android phone called the Smart Netphone, a Froyo handset originally manufactured as the ZTE Blade.
The ZTE Blade was first shipped back in November 2010 but never arrived in the Philippines.
What Smart might have done is include some custom apps into the handset, upgraded it to Froyo (from Eclair) and renames it the Smart Netphone 701.
It’s also known as the Orange San Francisco in some parts of Europe and was selling for 99 euros in January.
Photo credit: John Karakatsanis
The specs are pretty decent for an entry-level Android phone and could very well be competing with the likes of the Cherry Mobile Eclipse 2.2 and the Alcatel Blaze Duo 890D (though the latter one is dual-SIM) at the Php5,000 price point.
Smart Netphone (a.k.a ZTE Blade)
3.5″ LCD display @ 480×800 pixels
600 MHz ARM 11 processor
Adreno 200 GPU
Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset
HSDPA 7.2Mbps; HSUPA 5.76Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP
3MP autofocus camera
FM radio tuner
GPS w/ AGPS support
Li-Ion battery 1250mAh
Android 2.2 Froyo
No word if this handset is upgradeable to Gingerbread but by the specs alone, I think it’s possible.
Though the unit itself is a bit dated, the key here is for Smart to offer the unit at a very affordable price point — I think anything under Php5k would be a great price. Imagine if they sold this for like Php2,999 right?
Or they can bundle it with some of the low-cost internet plans and they’re on their way to offer Always On smartphones to the masses.
Update: We’ve spotted the ZTE Blade V880 being sold online for $225 or around Php9,500. It’s possible Smart Netphone 701 will be selling around this price as well.
This will be launched August 31. There will be a press conference on said date.
Hello future phone. I’ll be a Smart Netphone groupie once I got this. Been watching videos of San Francisco/ZTE Blade for 2 days now, and I am impressed.
i love the screen resolution!
parang malabong ilabas ng smart yan sa halagang 5k pababa… lalo na inupgrade nila ang Android OS yan…
Sana gawin ng Smart eh yung katulad ng ginawa nila dati sa Nokia X1 na parang load na lang ang binili mo sa kanila at hindi yung phone.
And sana Unlockable din to to all networks dahil Globe user ako :D
Always on @ 1250mAh? nagbibiro ba kayo sir?
This phone sucks.
For those who have an idea, can the chipset support flash 10.1? Will it allow for video streaming on sites like megavideo.com?
I’d surely get one if they sell this for only P2,999.00! :D
Im thinking they’d sell it at 7-10k
After all even the decent cherry or torque android phones are on that pricepoint.
Wow for 5k this is quite a deal.
Hope it is not SMART locked…..
I have that one, an Orange San Francisco from Switzerland. We bought it at 4500 pesos. According to some forums, this handset is the easiest to be “hacked”, and it is possible to upgrade it gingerbread (though we haven’t tried to upgrade it yet to gb). Responsive touch screen but a bit on a problem when it comes to texting (especially when in a hurry) Camera is kinda noisy when zooming in or out. Overall it is a good device for the Android Starters. :)
kailan ito lalabas sa smart?
wew… sarap ni2 pag 2,999 lang :D
is the Smart Netphone equipped with Swype?
You hit the magic word Sir Yuga “Always on smartphones for the masses” think of it like the blackberry plan, always on email. Perhaps sms could be replaced by emails in the near future. Emails is more cheaper than sms particularly when your abroad. Save money for our OFWs.
Sir Abe, Please compare this ZTE Blade with LG Optimus One by these criterias
– Price
– Quality
– Gaming
– Overall Performance
Upon observation ko po kasi with other sites, ito yung madalas i-compare, and i know na ikaw lang ang makakasolve ng dilemma ko, Much Thanks sir Abe!
Rafael, fyi there’s no word “criterias”. That’s because criteria is the plural form of criterion. However, you can also use “criterions” in plural form.
a great way to compare phones is by visiting forums for phones. i recommend gsmarena.com
Gingerbread can be attained via CyanogenMod 7 :}
Yep, CM7 works with this one. Make it cheap please!!
i love the screen resolution!
the proc and proc speed is what i’m worried about…
i think this one is much better than my huawei ideos (free from smart 500). sana eto na lang ang phone ko na free from smart. =(