UK firm seeks partners for one dollar smartphone project in Vietnam
UK firm seeks partners for one dollar smartphone project in Vietnam
A UK firm is searching for Vietnamese partners to market a smartphone that costs only one U.S. dollar, but it would be a long way to go for such an idea to be turned into reality.
SocialEco, which has distributed its flagship One Dollar Smartphone in a few markets, is eying Vietnam as the next destination, a company leader said at a meeting with the Authority of Radio Frequency Management (ARFM) late last month.
The super cheap handset will come with a SocialEco-developed ecosystem, called Social Economy Ecosystem, SocialEco CEO Cosmora was quoted as saying on the ARFM website on September 4.
The $1 smartphone is intended to allow low-income earners to access the Internet and features and services offered by the Social Economy Ecosystem, according to Cosmora.
As the smartphone is distributed almost free of charge, the manufacturer will cover all costs by selling ads.
The SocialEco handset will thus have some pre-installed apps, whereas their wallpapers will automatically change to display ads by partners, Cosmora elaborated.
In response, ARFM deputy head Le Van Tuan briefed the SocialEco executive on the telecom infrastructure and mobile market in Vietnam, speaking well of the $1 smartphone project.
“The project is suitable for Vietnam as a developing country, and such projects as the one dollar smartphone are always welcome,” Tuan said.
The official noted that the ads and other services that come along with the smartphone must be “aimed at the interest of customers.”
The ARFM said it will help SocialEco seek partners to actually launch the $1 smartphone project in Vietnam in the future.
SocialEco is reportedly selling its $1 smartphone in India and Bangladesh, and is seeking partners to reach out to other countries besides Vietnam.
It is too early to talk about the feasibility of the project until the UK firm officially announces it has found a partner.
The London-based SocialEco is a new social enterprise created to meet the increasing need for mobile technology services and devices around the world, while simultaneously providing effective solutions that address the socio-economic challenges faced by billions of people globally, according to its website.
The company’s ecosystem includes integrated services and Android devices that create “a social economy conceived to financially empower community stakeholders as well as company shareholders.”
