After reading the two press releases from Smart and Globe as well as talking to several tech journalists today, I finally figured out the confusion on the HTC Magic announcement.
Smart Communications snagged the exclusive deal with HTC to offer the phone in the Philippines. This deal has a locked-in period of 2 years. Smart Communications will start shipping units of the Android-powered HTC Magic to the local market by the end of the month (end of June 2009 or July 1, 2009).
Since that date is “yet to come”, Globe Telecom was able to start selling the HTC Magic since Friday of last week (June 12, 2009). That means, between June 12 to 30, 2009, Globe can still offer the phone to its subscribers (assuming the official exclusive contract between Smart and HTC starts on July 1).
After that short period, Smart will have exclusive rights to offer the HTC Magic in the Philippines. (Update: See Smart subscriber price for the HTC Magic here.)
Hope this clears up the confusion between the two telcos.
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We’ll im selling my own Google ION Brand got it from GOOGLE IO interested?
Dapat lang s smart mapunta ang mga ganyang klase ng phone kasi ang 3G coverage nla ay d hamak n mas malawak at mabilis,., kaya nga nakipgpartner n ang globe s WIMAX kc d nla mabgyan ng mgandang 3G coverage ang mga subscribers nla..
Okay lang yan Globe. Madami pa namang dadating na touch phones eh. Madali lang malaos yang HTC Magic since a lot of new models are yet to come.
OT: Globe has the exclusive right to iPhone because of Singtel.
Locked-in period of 2 years? Do you think people would still be interested with the HTC Magic three or even two months from now?
Naka-isa ang Globe dito, Smart should investigate bakit babagal-bagal mga tao nila :).