Cellcom, Partner (Orange brand) and Pelephone, will join efforts and resources in order to launch one single iPhone capaign for all Israeli operators bringing the iPhone.
Each operator has obliged to contribute 1.5 million ILS in order to promote iPhone sales together with the exact same campaign. Yes you are reading correctly- the “fierce” competition will be forgotten through the campaign in order to creat a win-win situation for operators.
Actually this initiative kind of makes sense, because Apple doesn’t allow any of the operators to change the campaign creative- with the same (boring, techy) ads in every country regardless of culture, religion and weather …
Apple is expected to contact the Commissioner of regulation Ronit Kann to ensure that the activity is conducted in accordance with the regulation – which according to Apple, could delay the launch…
The mobile blog of Israel is speculating that Apple may use this as an excuse to delay the launch and maybe just didn’t manufature enough iPhones to fulfil the demand … and not just in Israel.. (then again just a speculation).
Meanwhile The Mobile Blog of Israel is considering to buy a little Android baby for itself, but waiting for a true Hero..
It’s been bothering me for a while that my mobile is turning itself off after 3 min of every call I make, certainly made my bills thinner, but yet quite a drag. I have been carrying the same Sony Ericsson for a year or so and was planning to upgrade to the new iPhone or HTC Magic Android (Soon coming from Pelephone) – and left the decision to when they will arrive to Israel so I can compare and make a wiser resolution.
So, you may understand why I didn’t want to spend any money on repairing a mobile that I intend to replace soon…
So.. I have been postponing it for some time, but on last Thursday I decided- no more 3 min calls (!) and went to repair my mobile at an Orange point of service near my work.
Upon entering I took a number and waited for about 5 minutes to get service. When my number came up I approached a desk and was ready to get upset… (Like any good Israeli)
After I Explained to the representative at the desk the problem and mentioned why I don’t intend to spend a lot of money on the repair she surprisingly gave me a 50% discount with no arguments. I was pleased. Then, she backed up all my numbers, gave me a simple Nokia handset to use while mine is being repaired, and told me that it would take 2 business days.
She then offered me to send the handset to my house with a discounted delivery (20ILS instead 44 ILS) or to pick it up from any point of sale or customer care center in my area. I chose to pick it up from the same place.
When I was about to leave, she gave me extra 120ILS to spend on content downloads from the Orange portal, that was a treat that left me smiling, though she mentioned to cancel it after I am done or I’ll be charged for a regular content package on the next month. I left with a big smile.
Orange have recently changed the way they deliver their repair service as well as the whole processes inside their points of service and sale around Israel.
I picked up the brochure explaining the new repair process to customers so I will translate it for you native english speakers:
1. Starting now you can give away your handset for repair in one of 70 Orange points spread in malls and centers around the country.
2. The handset will be sent to a proffesional unique lab, and will go through a comrehensive repair and a meticulous quality check.
3. Meanwhile you will get an alternative handset which will allow you to stay connected
4. You will bw able to pick up your phone from any Orange point after 2 business days or to receive it with a delivery (available for a fee).
Cellcom is introducing today the first Android based device in Israel, the Samsung Galaxy.
According to reviews from around the globe the Galaxy is an android based phone better fitted for mainstream users and not just technophiles (Like me ).
The Samsung Galaxy (i7500) is featuring a 3.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen display, and 5-megapixel camera (with LED flash).
With a thickness of just 11.9 millimeters, the Galaxy handset is actually slimmer than both the HTC Magic and the Apple iPhone 3G.
The handset will be available for eager shoppers for 94.50 ILS per month on a 36 months contract with a monthly rebate cutting the price to 10 ILS per month for heavy users with a 399 ILS monthly bill. (A price much too expensive for yours truly..)
In order to promote the new device, Celcom has launched a contest urging people to photograph a unique object they own and explain why it is so unique in order to win and trade that object for a brand new Galaxy Phone.
10 of the most unique objects will be traded for 10 Samsung Galaxy handsets.
Update: Cellcom has launched a commercial for the new Andriod device saying : “There’s nothing like the first time excitement” implying on being the first to launch the Android OS in Israel.
Hi! Ages have passed since my last post. Luckily, Stavik has been doing a great job in keeping the blog up to date. In the recent months she wrote about some interesting Pelephone activities so I decided to add a little color and scan a few printed ads of this operator.
Let’s start with the Global Pass - the new roaming offer. As Stavik described in her post the offer includes a low (local-like) rate for calls from abroad for a fixed monthly fee and a relatively high call setup fee. Below are two prints: one is Global pass for business and the other for consumer. Interestingly, the only difference is in the price. Business version features lower monthly price (ILS 14.9 vs ILS 19.9), lower minute cost (ILS 0.49 vs ILS 0.59) and lower call setup fee (ILS 3.5 vs ILS 4).
Global Pass Business - outside
Global Pass business - inside
Global Pass consumer outside
Global Pass consumer - inside
Additional print which also promotes the consumer version of the Global Pass communicates a message of the Pelephone’s global footprint thanks to its partnership with Vodafone Netherlands.
Global Pass - Vodafone
Global Pass - Vodafone
The next pomotion is MUSIX music service. The communicated offer is simple – ILS 19.90 for an unlimited access to 200,000 tracks of various genres. Two first month are free. I just wonder why there is no note, even in the smallest font that all the tracks are DRM protected and they may only be kept while the subscription lasts.
MUSIX - outside
MUSIX - inside
And the last (bonus ) print. A free laptop promotion for ILS 189 data plan subscribers.
Israel’s Knesset, or Parliament is debating plans to permit the launch of MVNOs in the country. The Economic Arrangements Bill, being debated by the Knesset Economics Committee, accompanys the state budget and includes a clause to permit MVNOs in the country. The Ministry of Communications initially proposed plans for MVNOs earlier this year. The incumbent operators have until this week to lodge their opinions on the new legislation, and the Knesset is expected to vote on the bill around the middle of next month. If passed, then MVNOs could start applying for licenses within a couple of months. The legislation gives the network operators up to six months to come to a commercial agreement with any licensed MVNO – after which the government would step in to impose an agreement. The country has been debating the entry of MVNOs since at least 2007, when a report from National Economic Research Associates, commissioned by the regulator came down in favour of their services. The network operators in turn responded with their own study, carried out by LECG, which came to the opposite conclusion.
Orange has announced a partnership with ‘Bug‘, a chain of 50 computer stores across Israel. The partnership will allow Orange (Partner) to operate sales counters iwithin the stores in order to promote the sales of Orange’s (Partner) broadband/ mobile broadband, netbooks, landlines and additional products. The strategic partnership comes a few months after Partner has waived on operating its points of sales in ‘Superpharm’ durgstore chain, who has been in a long partnership with Orange which was established almost from Orange’s first day in Israel.
Pelephone has already replaced Orange in operating ’Superpharm’s points of sale and it seems that Orange needed to change location in order to change customers preception of it services range. In order to communicate to customers that the service range includes a strong link to internet thease day it was important to sell it alongside with computers. This step further emphsizes that Orange is a quad-player.
Cellcom Partners with ‘Egged’
Cellcom has partnered with ‘Egged‘ transportation (bus company) and ‘Transpot’, in a project that will see that bus passengers will have the ability to track the driving path and know the approximate estimation of arriving to their final destination.
The information will be displayed to passengers on two screens: one near the entry door and the driver, and the other near the exit door.
Well, this sounds kind of cool! The mobile blog of Israel can’t wait to check that out..
To you readers it might seem as if we are Pelephone fans, but it isn’t so, it is just that Pelephone provides us with more material for posts lately since it begun its re-branding campaign.
So today I’d like to share some content news: Pelephone has launched an ‘unlimited’ music download service called musix. The service cost 20 ILS per month and allows customers to download an unlimited amount of music track from a library of 250,000 songs and play them on their mobile or PC.
So what’s the catch? The songs will be available to customers as long as they are registered to the service for 20 ILS. If they choose to cancel the service the whole list of songs will be erased, so think carefuly if you would like to subscribe to the service since though you can cancel the service anytime, it is unlikley you would like to do so after acquiring a large number of songs.
This is what the service looks like:
And you can check out the internet ad (Banner) here:
After a very long wait, Pelephone and Partner announced today that they will bring the iPhone to their customers starting in October. Cellcom not expected to market the device.
The launch takes place late in relation to the rest to other countries. Over the years, the device has been brought independently by many people and there are currently an approximate number of 80 thousand iPhones in Israel.
***Update***
According to to the financial newspaper “Calcalist” the iPhone will be sold in Israel for a subsidized price, estimated at 199$, similarly to its subsidized price in other countries.
That is due to both operator’s agreement conditions with Apple, forcing them to rise subsidies to 200 million ILS per year. According to Calcalist Orange’s (Partner Israel) expense on subsidies was 87,000 ILS on 2008 (Pelephone does not disclose those details).
Cellcom who has decided not to market the iPhone at this point continues to lower its subsidies on devices. A smart move on one hand, but on the other hand not as smart if Cellcom won’t start to heavily subsidize at least on real premium device to allow them to push content and app to customers.
The mobile blog of Israel is proud and happy to hear that the iPhone is finally coming to Israel at a reasonable price and congratulates Pelephone and Orange for their wise decision to give the iPhone “Alia”.
March was certainly the month of Pelephone, regarding its investment in advertising. The company that has launched its new network in March is the largest advertiser of the month, with total investment of the huge amount of 3.8 million dollars.
Other cellular companies remained on march with a high volume of advertising , but the nature of their investments in advertising in March was much smaller than the Pelephone: Partner invests 1.7 million dollars in March, posisioning it at the 9th spot in the advertisers table. Cellcom invests 1.2 million dollars, which puts it in the 13th spot. The mobile category as a whole is the second largest in terms of investment in advertising in March, with total investment of 8.3 million dollars.
Meanwhile Pelephone continues to Advetise at a mass scale through May.
Cellcom, Partner (Orange brand) and Pelephone, will join efforts and resources in order to launch one single iPhone capaign for all Israeli operators bringing the iPhone.
… 
Posted by stavik 
Posted by stavik 
Posted by stavik 
Israel’s Knesset, or Parliament is debating plans to permit the launch of MVNOs in the country. The Economic Arrangements Bill, being debated by the Knesset Economics Committee, accompanys the state budget and includes a clause to permit MVNOs in the country. The Ministry of Communications initially proposed plans for MVNOs earlier this year. The incumbent operators have until this week to lodge their opinions on the new legislation, and the Knesset is expected to vote on the bill around the middle of next month. If passed, then MVNOs could start applying for licenses within a couple of months. The legislation gives the network operators up to six months to come to a commercial agreement with any licensed MVNO – after which the government would step in to impose an agreement. The country has been debating the entry of MVNOs since at least 2007, when a report from National Economic Research Associates, commissioned by the regulator came down in favour of their services. The network operators in turn responded with their own study, carried out by LECG, which came to the opposite conclusion.
After a very long wait, 
