HTC and AIS collaborate to offer new 3-D smart phone

HTC country manager Nattawat Woranopakul said the company expected to sell 1,000-2,000 units per month. It plans to work closely with local content partners such as Mono Group and M Picture to create 3-D content for users of the device. This content will be available in November.

HTC EVO 3D is a smart phone able to capture 3-D photos and video.

"We set Bt12 million as the marketing budget for this model, 45 per cent for above-the-line [broad-based] marketing and 55 per cent for below-the-line [targeted at niche customers]. We also plan to promote this model in 3-D theatres," Nattawat said.

He added that HTC Thailand saw growth of 300 per cent in the first nine months of this year over the same period last year. Therefore, the company has adjusted it forecast market share for the full year from 10 per cent to 12 per cent.

"With 12 per cent of the smart-phone market in Thailand, we will be No 3" in that segment, Nattawat said.

According to market research firm Canalys, Android-based phones in Thailand in the second quarter of this year represented 37.3 per cent of the total number of smart phones, ranking that platform as No 1. Canalys also revealed that worldwide, Android was also No 1 with 48 per cent of the smart-phone market.

Titipong Kheiwpaisal, AIS senior vice president for marketing, said Android had the highest growth among smart-phone platforms.

HTC EVO 3D is the third model for which AIS has collaborated with HTC Thailand after HTC Flyer and HTC Cha Cha. He said between 3 million and 4 million AIS subscribers had smart phones that supported third-generation technology.

He added that the overall smart-phone market in Thailand had doubled when compared with same period of last year, while overall data service had grown by 50 per cent.

HTC EVO 3D is available at AIS shops, Telewiz shops and authorised retailers for Bt19,900 (including value-added tax).

"Exclusively for AIS users, they will get a special package for eight months: Bt199 per month with the use of 3G EDGE-plus with 1 gigabyte. For other packages, users can call *2123337," Titipong said.

The first 2,000 buyers will get pre-downloads of "The Green Hornet" 3D movie and the latest instalments of Chartbuster, Spider-Man, Need for Speed, Shift, and The Sims 3 games.

The EVO 3D is the latest of eight models the company has launched in the Thai market this year. HTC plans to launch three more models before the end of the year.