Taiwan-market: TWM launches under-NT$7,000 own-brand smartphones

Taiwan Mobile (TWM) has introduced the T2 own-brand smartphone, which runs on Android 2.1 and has a suggested retail price of NT$6,990 (US$218). The company expects the T2 to account for 15-20% or 52,500-72,000 units of its smartphone sales in about six months.

Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2010 to early 2011, demand for smartphones priced between NT$5,000-10,000 will take off, according to TWM, and therefore TWM has introduced its own entry-level device to tap into the segment. The company further predicted that by the fourth quarter of 2011, the Taiwan market will see smartphones under NT$5,000.

The T2 will be sold with price friendly data plans to attract the youth segment and those professionals that are fresh out of school, the company said.

TWM projected that smartphones will grab a 40% share of Taiwan's handset market in 2011 and up to 50% as early as 2012.