GLOBE and Smart are set to (finally) launch the Blackberry Bold this week. And while it really is a tad too late (the Bold was first announced in May), it should bear repeating, or ruminating, whether the Bold can really compete directly against THAT Apple device.

Here’s a quick video showing the added features of the Blackberry Bold:

Of course, the iPhone carries better brand recall. I don’t expect to hear the words “Blackberry Bold” in any conversation among already iPod-toting college students. And based from personal experience, I’ve already seen a few iPhone-toting college students.

So where does that leave the Bold?

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MAKATI CITY – Putting much hype into it down to the last minute, Globe officially launched the iPhone 3G Friday midnight.

Hundreds – joined by Globe officials and a number of local celebrities — flocked to Ayala Stock Exchange at the heart of the Makati business district Thursday night awaiting the official launch.

The atmosphere was festive and mirrored New Year’s Eve as people counted down towards the midnight launch. Though unlike in other countries where Apple fanatics lined up for days waiting, some had to line up nonetheless and waited for hours before being able to buy the reserved iPhone units.

Nina Angela Sarmiento (shown in photo above) was the first person in line to buy an iPhone, having waited since 3 o’clock in the afternoon of August 21.

Gerry Ablaza Jr., Globe’s chief executive officer, also awarded an iPhone as a token to Ankush Raisinghani, human resources director for Procter and Gamble Philippines, who has been a Globe Platinum subscriber since 1997.

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By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines –Days before the unveiling of the new Apple iPhone 3G in the Philippines, the local online communities and blogs are abuzz with excited fans and curious tech users.

The iPhone 3G is once again a hot topic in forums, such as the Philippine Macintosh Users Group ) and Peyups.com.

Apple’s new product is also getting a lot of attention from technology bloggers in the Philippines.

The iPhone 3G will launch Thursday night in an elaborate ceremony in Makati City. Globe Telecom has already activated a special iPhone site, where customers could get more information about the new device, particularly the paid plans that are available, as well as the methods for buying or reserving a unit.

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By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – Globe Telecom announced it will sell the iPhone 3G via prepaid at P37, 599 or around P4, 000 less than its initial introductory price, the company said Friday.

Globe said in a statement iPhone 3G prepaid kits will be available at P37, 599 and P43, 799 for the 8GB and 16GB, respectively.

Globe said the new pricing will apply to all subscribers — even to those who have made reservations. Globe earlier said Apple’s latest iPhone device will be available starting August 22.

The prepaid plans come with P1,000 load spread over 5 months, or P200 per month. Also, the first 1,000 phonekit purchases will get another P1,000 discounts off the purchase price.

Earlier this month, Globe said it will see the iPhone 3G via prepaid at P41,899 (8Gb) and P48, 899 (16Gb). The iPhone 3G is likewise available through postpaid plans ranging from P1,599 to P4,999 a month, inclusive of free WiFi via Globe Wiz.

Globe added zero-interest purchase plans in partnership with local banks still apply.

The Apple iPhone 3G, which operates on the third-generation (3G) mobile network, will also come with a built-in global positioning system (GPS) for location-based mobile services.

The iPhone 2.0 software includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, apart from hundreds of third-party applications built with the recently released iPhone software development kit.

Globe Telecom has more than 21 million mobile subscribers to date.