Etisalat set to launch own brand mobile phone

UAE telecom giant Etisalat is set to launch its own mass-market branded mobile phone next week, it was revealed on Thursday.

The name of the manufacturer has not been announced but the Etisalat phone will cost AED300 and feature mobile broadband applications, services from its interactive portal, Weyak, and several user interface customisations.

"We should launch this phone within a week and it will be branded an Etisalat phone," said Omar Al Muzakki in comments published by Emirates Business.

"This is a first for us since 1996 when we stopped doing this. From 1994 to 1996 we used to sell the handset from Etisalat where it was customised and everything was ours. We are now returning to that strategy," he told the paper.

Muzakki said oversupply of mobile devices in the UAE and a consequent lack of consumer confidence in several products had pushed Etisalat towards device customisation.

"Our priority is to satisfy our customers in terms of the trust they need from Etisalat. The UAE market is open and there are millions of handsets. But when you introduce a handset branded Etisalat the customer will feel confident in its after sales and the price. This is why our first offering is in a low-price bracket," he added.

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