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What? Why is this site writing about handphone?

I just can’t resist taking part in a contest for a chance to win a Blackberry Torch 9800!

I wanted to write this post before the crazy give away by Celcom on 29th October 2010. On that day, Celcom gave away 10 Blackberry Torch 98000 at RM8.00 (YES!) to the first 10 customers who sign up with Celcom Exec or Celcom Biz plans, the next 100 customers get to buy it at RM 488 and the following 100 customers get it at RM 888!

But alas, I was way too busy with my work and forgot all about it. Anyhow the dateline for Celcom Blackberry Torch 9800 contest will only end on 19 November 2010. So I decided to write about it here.

If you missed the event its still ok as Celcom offers great packages for you to own the latest Blackberry Torch 9800. Below are the packages:

I managed to borrow a unit of the new Blackberry Torch 9800 from a friend and I will be comparing its features with my old iPhone 3Gs.

Blackberry Torch 9800 may look smaller than the iPhone 3Gs, but after you slide it out, it is longer.

iPhone is also lighther and with higher internal memory. However the Blackberry has higher camera resolution and allow to increase the memory with external memory card.

Typing with the iPhone virtual keypad is rather tricky. Eventhough I have used the iPhone for sometime, I constantly have typo error due the big finger vs the virtual keypad sensitivity. I prefer the real QWERTY keypad of the Blackberry Torch 9800. I found that I can type faster and with no typo error.

The iPhone touch screen apps are fantastic for fast and easy access. That is why the Blackberry Torch 9800 is best of both world, it has a touch screen for fast access to apps and it has a real QWERTY keypad for typing! Great! Fantastic combination!

The Blackberry Torch 9800 will definately be on the top of my list if I decide to change my handphone next year.

I love handphones and I have changed my handphone many times over the years. I have tried many models (NEC, Phillips, Panasonic, Nokia, Motorolla, Sony Ericsson and currently iPhone)  but I haven’t tried a Blackberry. I would love a Blackberry Torch 9800 and when its coupled with the great package from Celcom, it will be prefect. I am already an existing Celcom subscriber. I switch from another telco due to better coverage from Celcom and better package rate for family members. I can definately vouch for Celcom on the service, coverage and rates packages.

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Malaysia’s second-largest mobile phone company Axiata Group Bhd is considering paying a dividend from 2011 as improving business conditions have helped bolster its balance sheet, its chief executive said yesterday.

A likely payout to shareholders would be the first dividend from the company since its listing in 2008 after it was demerged from Telekom Malaysia.

“We have not made any decision … However, given the strength of our balance sheet, especially our cash and debt position, we are in good position to consider it from 2011 onwards,” Axiata chief executive officer Datuk Seri Jamaludin Ibrahim told Reuters in an interview.

Axiata’s 2009 net profit tripled to RM1.66bil, helped by strong performance of its overseas subsidiaries in Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Jamaludin Ibrahim … ‘good position to consider it from 2011 onwards’

The firm, which has a market value of US$9.5bil, turned free cash flow positive for the first time in 2009 and slashed its gross debt to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) ratio to 2.4 times from 4.6 times.

Axiata recorded an EBITDA margin of 42.2% in the quarter ended December, up from 31.7% a year earlier, and compared with 41% recorded by Singapore Telecommunications, South-East Asia’s biggest telecom firm.

“We believe we could maintain the EBITDA margin. Of course the pressure point would come from the competition and also our own investment in mobile broadband.”

Axiata has 120 million mobile subscribers across Asia, up 34% from a year earlier, with a presence in a number of countries including India, Indonesia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka.

The company has a 86.5% stake in Indonesia’s third largest mobile phone operator XL Axiata, which could become the number two player in the world’s fourth most populous nation, after growing aggressively last year.

XL Axiata has a free float of only 0.2% as Emirates Telecommunications Corp controls another 13.3% stake in the Indonesian firm.

Jamaludin said Axiata would always review the possibility of increasing the free float of its Indonesian unit but declined to comment further on the timeline.

“We have said back at the end of 2008 that we are open at possibility in increasing the float up (to) 15%-20%. It is something that we are always looking at, and right now we also looking at it, perhaps more seriously,” he added.

Axiata share price has gained around 27% since the start of the year, outpacing a 1.1% rise in the broader Kuala Lumpur index.

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Celcom Axiata Bhd registered a profit after tax and minority interests (Patami) of RM412mil in the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, a 22.6% increase compared with RM336mil in the previous corresponding period.

This marks its 15th consecutive quarter of positive growth.

It posted a revenue of RM1.7bil in the quarter compared with RM1.47bil previously.

“The growth was mainly driven by our segmentation marketing, restructured sales and distribution systems, improvement in network and customer services and the improving performance in the group,” chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly told a press conference after the company’s result briefing yesterday.

He said Celcom planned to sustain its current momentum and continue exceeding its industry average growth in all key areas of its business, including retail, corporate and young segment.

“The year 2010 marks the start of our transformation period towards being a company with high performing culture. In the coming quarters, we will be focusing on various areas and benchmark ourselves against the industry locally and internationally.”

He said the enterprise segment held huge potential amidst the economic slowdown and Celcom intended to drive the business deeper.

Its holdings company, Axiata Bhd, will announce the key performance indicator for 2010 in April.

“We plan to spend RM900mil to RM1bil capital expenditure (capex) this year, compared with RM780mil last year, from internally-generated funds,” he said.

He said a large portion of expenditure last year was used to build up the infrastructure but the company would spend 40% of its capex this year on network infrastructure, especially in 3G, and the rest in areas like business intelligence and new billing systems.

For the financial year ended Dec 31 (FY09), the company posted a Patami of RM1.5bil, a 19% increase from FY08. Its revenue increased 12.8% to RM6.3bil.

Its average revenue per user for 2009 fell from RM106 to RM103 for the postpaid segment compared with 2008 while the prepaid segment dropped 8.6% to RM43.

On the possibility of Celcom offering iPhone, Shazalli said: “We do have a choice and we will evaluate it carefully as we need to make sure all the support levels are in place if we want to bring in iPhone.”

The company had actually discussed with Apple two years ago but nothing had been concluded, he said, adding that it would currently focus on promoting its Blackberry products.

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