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Posted by mustafabay
I haven't seen too many egyptians around esato, but if there are any I'd like them to unite here. If nobody shows up I'll just have to hold a monologe till sombody does:-)


Posted by BobaFett
Salaam! Are /// fones still in usage in egypt? Sukran.

Posted by OluYom
@mustafa: Regards to the people of Egypt from the Proudly Nigerian thread.

Tell us a little about GSM services in your country. Also, which manufacturer has the strongest footing in the land of the great pyramids?

Posted by govigov
Alekum islam! Regards to all egyptians from the SE india thread. Perhaps you could tell me about the curse of the tomb of tutakamen, is it true?

Posted by mrao
Salaam..Warm welcome to everyone in the Egyptian thread.

Posted by brix25
Greetings from all at the South African mobile discussion. I know Egypt is one of the biggest mobile markets on the African continent.

Posted by mustafabay
Walaikum-issalam everyone.
Ok one quetion at a time. Yes all phones are still in use in Egypt. People don't throw away phones,they sell them. You can find almost any phone still in use. A2618, 3210, 5110, T10 anything.
We have a nice big duopoly here in Egypt, Mobinil and Vodafone. Last year they jointly bought the third license since nobody else in the world seemed interested. The compition is very funny here in Egypt because there is a goverment agency that has to approve anything companies want to do, so basically you get the exact same offers from both companies and its just amatter of do you want orange or is red your color. Vodafone leads intech but Mobinil has more subscribers, although the gap is usually about 500000 subscribers and I don't think its going to change soon. The compitition is so laughable, Voda announces Vodafone Live!, 6months later you get Mobinil Life, and of course in arabic they're spelled the same

Yes, I suppose we're one of the biggest markets in Africa but thats of course because we're one of the biggest populations too. To bad we mostly just buy nokias

And still no Egyptians here.

[ This Message was edited by: mustafabay on 2005-02-23 09:20 ]

Posted by mustafabay
This monologue is very fun. I should talk till my jaw is stiff (or my fingers).

Posted by govigov
Interesting situation. There is no place for a 3rd player if monopoly/duopoly exists. May be thats why?

Posted by brix25
Quite strange that there's is a duopoly in Egypt...I think Orascom is one of the biggest telecoms company's on the continent but they're focusing mostly on the Middle Eastern market.

Explain how it's possible that the two existing companies bought the third licence...that's quite bizarre.

Posted by mustafabay
Telecom Egypt(TE) was supposedly going to build a GSM1800 network. Vodafone and mobinil both use GSM900 and supposedly jointly bought the exclusive use of the 1800 band for a few years. Of course TE is gouvernment owned and paying them is like paying the gouvernment and so TE recieved 2bil LE for giving them the exclusive use of the frequency. Heck why build a new network when you can make heaps of money just by planning to Of coure if you make 800mil+ LE annually in net profits, what's a billion LE to not have compition and have to lower your prices and then you'll make less profits??

I think Orascom prefers the Middle East so it can only have one or two competitors per country, any more than that would be too much of a pain in the ass and would be hard to make comfortable profits
Personally I prefer vodafone but I stay away from voda branded phones, but since we don't have contracts with phones and a voda branded phone is the same as a Sim free so why even think of branded phones

Posted by mustafabay
This is my first from wap and still nobody else egyptian here yet :-) So far this thread has been exactly like egypt relying on tourism :-D

Posted by coolapostle
Welcome Egypt! Africa's third country @Esato. About getting more of your folks, try posting about it at popular Egyptian Forums on the net. Then there is Prodigits wap site. Somehow, more wap subscribers find Prodigits b4 Esato. Not sure about the links though...

Posted by mahora
Hello mustafabay,
I am another fellow Egyptian that is glad to share views- hopefully- on regular basis with you. I like the way you follow up on teleocm issue here in Egypt. I also once read a post by you in which you described the dilemma of buying a k700i. Strangely we share the same dilemma because I too want to buy a k700i, but was held back by many things:
1- The firmware available on the stock of k700i handsets in Egypt, since as you know, I want to be R2AE (the latest), and not R2AA, which had problems.
2- SE service centers in Egypt suck, as far as firmware upgrades are concerned (they have no clue about the issue, and when asked, they wondered why I was interested in f/w upgrades
3- The availability of the SE DSS-30 (or even 25) docking stations for file transfer and f/w updates.
So that's our Egypt, you can never be sure of anything in it, of course u know what I'm talking about


Posted by Davo_169
ive always wanted to go to egypt

Posted by Melik
me too,

greets from turkey

Posted by brix25
What's the coverage of the two networks outside the big cities (Alexandria and Cairo)?

Posted by mahora
davo_169
you are most welcome mate!
just make sure to give a proir notice so we can help you sightsee, and enjoy your stay.

Posted by mustafabay
Egypt's Populated area is covered pretty well although sometimes by only one network, but then that depends on your phone. Get a french phone and you won't have a problem anyware.
@mahora
Lots of salams to you :sigh of relief: now I'm not alone.
To tell the truth i've never been in a service center but I've never had any major problems either.
A used K700 I'm told is only for LE1300 because it doesn't have MS. 3 months ago I bought a T630 for 1150LE

Posted by mustafabay
Now i'm super happy with SE announcements today but don't have much faith in the K750 getting here on time to make a enough difference. :-l

Posted by mahora
mustafabay,
Yes you are not alone any more. Now we can share thoughts, and opinions because we both are in the same boat
About the used k700i; does the lack of memory stick decrease the price that much? a couple of weeks ago, 2 sets were for sale in Al Waseet for something like 2000 l.e.
one more thing about the price you mentioned is that the device will probably have the first f/w version (R2A041), something that will make you hate the k700i . That's probably why I didn't buy the k700i yet. I'm waiting for a reliable f/w version (since no SE service center will offer f/w upgrades, as well the lack of DSS-30 docking station). Unfortunately, when I was beginning to think that R2AE was the latest, most stable f/w version, and was waiting for devices in Egypt to have it, then came the sms storage problem that made SE stop manufacturing k700i till it's fixed (http://www.esato.com/board/viewtopic.php?topic=79435&start=0).
I hope I don't have to wait forever or be forced to buy a nokia instead
About the k750i, I wish I could share your enthusiasm about it, but based on a previous experience with the S700, the price of Clara will be way out of reach (if you remember, the s700 was first released in Egypt at 5.200 l.e. (five thousand, nad two hundred pounds). I just wish to know how many people in Egypt bought the s700? one? two? Judging by this, I think the clara is going to be released at the price of 8.000 l.e. (the price of a decent laptop)


[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-06 17:35 ]

Posted by mustafabay
No K750 will only be in the region of 3500LE initially and should go down to 2500 a little after the price in Europe stops dropping. I think the one in the waseet was either used but bought here or was new from dubia. At least they are trying to sell S700, last official price fom an add in Akhbar Alyoum is 3975LE. For 1300 you'll be getting a used one bought in dubai. And if you can get someone or a shop to get you a phone from dubai you could ask for a docking station too. BTW can't you upgrade your K700 online??

This summer I hope I can take a course to learn how to fix mobiles then hopefully I won't ever nead a service center again

Someday we'll be lucky and SE will get another disributor in Egypt. Acompany that distributes SE, seimens and motorola isn't the ideal dealer for SE. Olympic group would be a nice dealer the already are Sony's distributor here

Posted by mahora
I wouldn't hope much for a price fall for clara. SE prices don't drop that fast. The k700i hasn't dropped a single pound yet since it was released in Egypt in early novemeber 2004 (4 months ago) at the price of 2400. l.e.
As for the fictional prices like 1300 l.e., I came across a mobile company in germnay, and they offered to sell me a k700i at the pric of USD 230 (and they clain it's new or refurbished)+ 20 $ delivery. They even agreed it to be cash upon delivery. Of course i didn't trust them, because what if i bought the device and it turned out to be faulty? the yprovide international warranty, so it's useless inn egypt. i guess with expensive hanseta, you need to be carefull, and that's where local warranty comes in (at last there is some benefit to it), because if anything should be wrong with the device, it'll be their problem , or why else will i be paying them the extra money?
good luck with your mobile course, i'll be your first client, at least for an f/w upgrade there is an academy called OKASHA ACADEMY for mobile maintenece the ads for which keep poping up in Al Hram every now and then, imagine you paying money to an academy called okasha (in the jungle)

[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-07 15:35 ]

Posted by mustafabay
Firmware upgrades shouldn't be that hard, I don't even know if its worth taking a course just for that. I would take the course to learn how to fix hardware. What I don't Understand is why Deltech is so biased, they advertise Siemens in Alahram and they are decreasing their prices. Siemens doesn't have anything coming soon, so what's their logic???
I want to clean my phone should I bother going to the service center or should I just buy a set of screwdrivers for mobiles and clean it myself. I feel I should go the service center at least once just to give them a peice of my mind on their sales policy. They do need to see the light, SE is going to be great in 2005 and they don't seem to care.

Posted by plasmadog
Hey guys, my parents just got back from egypt and they really loved the place! They just keep raving about it. Hopefully, i can come sometime too.

Posted by mahora
mustafabay,
i will tell u why siemens is decreasing their prices. siemens international is the# 4 worldwide mobile phone manufacturer at the moment, BUT due to huge losses, inadequate production lines, their losing to other competitors, such as LG, which now takes # 5, and fighting siemens for #4. all of this made siemens international think seriously about SELLING the mobile division, or even SHUTTING IT DOWN COMPLETELY, if now buyer is found. obviously they want to gain market share to make the deal look good, or just to make upfor some of the losses, and one effective policy is to lower prices. it's still a pitty though since siemens products quality keep declining and they can't really keep up with the other companies.
as for the local SE service centers in egypt, the problem with them is that they don't have the technical knowledge, they don't want to learn, and they depend on people's ignornace. simply they don't care to know or to serve better. that's why they'll be extremely surprises if u ask them about a f/w upgrade or which fw version is available on the sets for sale in egypt (and i have tried this), they might even askwhy do you care about such stuff?! , so there is no hope with them in that respect, the only thing warranty is good for in egypt is that if u get a faulty set, they'll be forced to fix it for, something they will probably not know how to do, therefore u end up with a handset replacement
by theway SE is # 6 worldwide mobile manufacturer, and if LG takes out siemens, hten may be SE will trade places with it & become # 5

plasmadog,
u are absolutely welcome to egypt any time, just make sure to give prior notice so that we, at least i can be of any help possible or needed, especially with sightseeing, or whatever...




[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-08 16:59 ]

[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-08 17:00 ]


Posted by mahora
mustafabay,
do u have inbuilt email client on ur t630? if yes, how did u set it up? i realized that the support page on SE site for k700i can send u the settings for mms & wap only, but the emai configurator doesn't include egypt (in mms & wap it did). so what's the story?

[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-09 18:24 ]

Posted by mustafabay
[b]plasmadog[\b]
You're welcome anytime.

[i]mahora[\i]
I don't quite agree that its because siemens wants to keep its market share, Egypt isn't a big enough market and siemens has too small of an influence in it for them to slash prices to keep world market share. And in Egypt siemens and SE have the same dealer, wouldn't you want to sell all your phones not just one brand.
On teusday I said they never SE in alahram on wednesday there was an add in alahram, you wouldn't have anything to do with that

I didn't get a user manual so I only us the functions I really know how to use, afterall its my first SE. I don't really know what an email client is and I obviosely don't have it set up Sorry.

Posted by mahora
i think that siemens is not decresing prices in egypt only, as i said it's a strategy to in attempt to save their world ranking and market share. your point proves what i said, egypt is not a big enough market for siemens to want to decrease prices there only, so it must be a worldwide strategy.
as for as se ad is concerned, what good was it posting an ad in Al Ahram, while the prices are the same. i'd want them to post their ads anywhere, even in tabloids, but i have one condition, that they decrese their prices:D

[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-13 10:30 ]

Posted by mustafabay
Spestaily when the S65 is now officially cheaper than the K700. And now I'm not so sure if they both have the same dealer. Advertising is important and putting ads in Ala ahram is important, afterall its the best selling paper and most big companies like nokia and samsung advertise in it. I just hope the K300 comes here quickly, for egypt its quite crucial to sell alot of phones. Afterall would you buy a phone you hardly ever see anyone using?

Posted by mahora


[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-14 08:20 ]

Posted by mahora
YES I would buy a phone EVEN if i hardly see anyone else using it. but only on 2 conditions: functionality, and better serving my taste and needs.
do u know why i wanna shift from using nokia (my current phone is still a nokia)? it was when i discovered how nokia manipulates its customers, and impose directions upon them.
manipulating customers is shown by selling same-functionality handsets, with dfference in looks only at diiferent prices. take for example 7250i and 6610i.
as for imposing directions upon customers, it is evident in the weird form factors that nokia has been releasing for its mobiles in the past year. obvious examples are: 6600(ostrich-egg shaped), 6630(bulb-shaped), 3230(building block shape, and the list could go on forever.
fortunately nokia has been awakened by strong sets released by other manufactureres, e.g. SE's k700i: classic form factor, feature-rich, full functionality for its segment and price. nokia understood well this wake-up call, and just looking at such forthcoming sets as 6680 is enough to manifest the turn in the trend for nokia.
one last story about how disappointing nokia can be. a friend of mine had just purcchased an 3700 l.e. nokia 6630. top of the line. he was so happy with it. UNTIL. until one time someone else that was present had a Qtek 1010. The Qtek guy had this magnificent tone (20th century fox logo). the 6630 guy wanted to have it so badly. one problem though. the qtek had conectivity ONLY through infra red. and since the 6630 does not have infra red, the 6630 guy was so disappointed. well that's nokia isn't it? :*


[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-05-17 05:51 ]

Posted by mustafabay
But the Qtek is quite old and I must say that not having bluetooth is sad, not that i'm defending nokia's decision to drop Irda so soon. I can't say buying a nokia is a bad idea, its just their policy on repackaging phones is disappointing. I'm hoping that SE will focus on the middle east soon, since their main strength is in europe.

Posted by mahora
yes the qtek is quite old, but looking at the egyptian market, u'll find that a large portion of it is comprised of old, low-end, and used handsets. such a portion cannot be ignored in terms of connectivity with new handsets. the point is nokia can be so frustrating sometimes. take for instance nokia 6020. when i first saw it, i liked the classic form factor, the functions, the camera, and at the price of 1650 l.e., it seemed reaonable. i could even do without a large screen and settle for the 128x128. BUT nokia KILLED it, yes KILLED it deliberately. NO BLUETOOTH, HOW? believe me i had a careful study at nokia's line for 2004, and q1&2 of 2005 b4 i decided to drift away.

Posted by mustafabay
6030 would be an answer, but no idea on internal memory. I would wait for the K300, or go for K500. Yeah you don't get bluetooth but at least the irda port is fully functional unlike nokia and samsung that can only send to PCs. Only SE and french phones and maybe MS smartphones have that. Don't forget nokia irda is useless.
If you don't have that much money you could buy a T610 you can still get them in Egypt and they are probably the cheapest phones with bluetooth.

Posted by mustafabay
Now SE is finally lowering its prices. Too bad they're only doing it with the S700 and P910. I hope they start discounting the k700 soon and hope they release the k300 too. My uncle got a k700 from dubai and I must say its good. Now i need a docking station because if he meets a bug he'll come to me, too bad the phone doesn't have the latest firmware.

Posted by mahora
now u know what i was talking about..., u should have told ur uncle to get a docking station from dubai as well, as I KNOW it's not available in egypt, may be due to the little demnad for it (i checked with delta & POS such as fono). i have a couple of questions for u:
- what is the phone's manufacture date, as well as the battery's manufacture date?(both written on the sticker attached to each, and written in this form **W**, e.g., 05W01 means the first week of 2005)
- what is the firmware on ur uncles's handset?
- how much did he pay for it?

[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-19 23:02 ]

Posted by mustafabay
I don't see my uncle everyday so I can't answer everything He payed something like 2000LE. His sister in-law was indubai with her husband and my uncle's wife wanted to get him a phone. But lucky enough we happened to visit them while the folks were still in dubai because they were going to get my uncle a 7260 of all phones. They not only bought one for my uncle but one for their daughter too. So now its alot of responsibility . The firmware was R2S I think any idea if the online updates are full firmware updates?

Posted by mahora
R2S? hmmm...that's a new one... according to this thread http://www.esato.com/board/viewtopic.php?topic=66330
there is no such fw... that's why i asked u about the manufacture date of the set... because through that u can approximately determine the fw version... for example i checked a set at radioshack, and it had the manufacture date of 05W01, this means that most probably it has r2ae033 (the latest for the most part), since r2ae033 was released since 06-12-2004. and yes the online thing gets ur phone fully updated.
when u see ur uncle. if u could check this eaty beaty tinthy winthy one more thing, i'll be eternally grateful. pls. check the quality of the photos in poor light conditions. there's been compalints of the k700i capturing poor photos in poor light conditions, so if u could pls confirm... thxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-20 22:45 ]

Posted by mustafabay
Sorry I didn't think it was important then. Maybe I'll see my Uncle next Friday. I'm not going to ask him on the phone, I haven't even told him about >*<<*<* yet.

Posted by mahora
just admire the phone a little, get your hands on it (wareeny kedah ya 3amo , and then do ur little experiments

Posted by mustafabay
Yeah sure

Posted by mustafabay
It has the latest firmware R2AE033. The battery is 04w31. The phone 04w52.

Posted by mustafabay
BTW the se site says you need DSS-25 to do your own updates, would it be available? I'll go to a service center after I finish my mid terms.

Posted by mahora
godd luck with the visit to the service center. i hope u have better luck than i had with them on the phone when i asked about the availability of dss-25, they said it wasn't available, so i hope it is when u' re there. one useful tip for u is that the dss-25 is included in the sales package of the p900 so offer to buy separately if that's possible. one more thing: the phone from dubai is supposed to have international warranty, which is of no use here with service center, isn't that right? or else will they offer to upgrade the phone for money, and if yes how much would it be?

Posted by mahora
mustafabay
have u dealt with delta before? i'm gonna buy my k700i this weekend and i don't know which is better to buy the phone directly from the warranty provider or just from an outlet like Phono, what do u think?

[ This Message was edited by: mahora on 2005-03-30 14:50 ]

Posted by mustafabay
Any shop selling the phone with a local warrenty is the same.
Thank you nokia for releasing the 3230, the only thing that could get SE egypt to lower the K700's price.

Posted by mustafabay
@ mahora
So. Did you buy the phone or what. If you did I could understand why you've not showed up lately

Posted by mahora
u guessed right my friend

Posted by mustafabay
Mabrook.So is it great or what?I hope tomorrow there will be an ad for something new. Hopefully K300 although haven't heard about J200 yet.


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