O+ Plus USA Smartphones and Tablets Philippines : "We Want To Offer Filipinos A Viable Alternative To Samsung"

TechPinas Exclusive!

Last Tuesday, I had a dinner meeting with our friends from O+ and I took the opportunity to ask them several questions that I know are lingering in the minds of Pinoy gadget consumers about this steadily growing American handset brand.

O+ USA recently opened its first ever concept store in the country at SM North EDSA where Pinoy gadget lovers can give the company's smartphones and tablets a test run.

Mark of TP: Is O+ really an American brand?
O+: Yes, O+ is an American brand just like Apple. And like the iPhone and iPad, O+ smartphones and tablets are designed in the US and assembled in China. We employ the highest standards in crafting our devices.

Mark of TP: Why did O+ choose the Philippines - of all countries - as a key market for its smartphones?
O+: We looked at the data. We did our research and we found out that the Philippines is the biggest and fastest growing market in this region for smartphones. We are here because we want to offer Filipinos a viable alternative to Samsung.

Mark of TP: So do you see Samsung as your biggest competitor or main rival in this country?
O+: Sure, Samsung is our biggest competitor. We always try to come up with very affordable devices that can match if not beat what Samsung offers.

Mark of TP: Largely because of the very low pricing strategy that you are implementing on O+ Android smartphones and tablets, a lot of Pinoy consumers are starting to think you are trying to directly compete with local players like Cherry Mobile and MyPhone. Is that train of thought correct?
O+: Mark, we don't offer rebranded Android handsets and slates. All of the devices that we release are designed and manufactured by us. O+ is an OEM. Sure, in terms of pricing, maybe we can be compared with those brands because we try to keep our prices really pocket-friendly so more Pinoys can enjoy our products. But in terms of the quality of our devices, we'd like to think that what we are offering is the best very that we can possibly come up with. We control the quality of our smartphones and tablets and we are confident that what we have on the table - across various price points - reflects well on us -- not only in terms of specs but also when it comes to design and build. We want our products to look premium.

Mark of TP: Congratulations on the success of your new flagship handset, the O+ 8.15! Any message to everyone who - uhm - did their best to get their O+ 8.15 via the much talked about O+ Concept Store Opening Promo?
O+: The overwhelmingly large turn-out was truly unexpected and is very humbling. We'd like thank everyone for their patience and for rooting for us. We'll continue to improve our system when it comes to doing mall promos and trust that the one for O+ 8.15 at the SM North EDSA concept store won't be the last. Thanks again to everyone who came! We hope that all of them were able to get the O+ device that they were eyeing.

There you go, TP Friends! I hope we were able to address and answer some of your questions about O+. If you have further inquiries, kindly leave them in our comments section and I'll forward them to our friends at the company.