When I saw an advertisement on TV this morning that said something like, “Red Mobile, coming soon”, I didn’t know that it was Umobile until this afternoon. I got a call from Umobile (9811500) and they told me that they have changed their name to Red Mobile. They will send me a new Red Mobile SIM for FREE anytime from Nov 16 to 20. Like before, they still require me to present a photocopy of my valid ID upon delivery of the SIM.

This means I won’t be needing my Umobile SIM anymore. So I will just keep it as a remembrance. Goodbye Umobile.

Hello Red Mobile!

Let’s take the “100 peso load” as an example
I need to receive 200 ads to get a 100 peso load.
With a 100 peso load, I can:

• send 666 text messages (Php 0.15/text u to u) or
• call up to 20 mins (Php 5/min u to u)

Receiving 200 ads per month is equivalent to 50 ads/week. So that means, receiving 50 ads/week can give me:

• 166 text messages per week or
• 5 mins talk time per week

I can assume that:
Receiving 7 ads/day, gives me:

1. 300 text messages, AND
2. 11 mins of talk time per month

300 text messages * o.15 = 45 pesos
11mins * 5 = 55 pesos
45 pesos + 55 = 100 pesos

300 text messages per month is a lot already. If I’m an active texter, Umobile can work for me. But if I call more often than text, I can choose to answer only 7 ads/day, and buy an additional 300 peso load. That will give me 80 mins more talk time. But that will depend on how I want to spend my load.

Not sure if Umobile’s low charging rates are enough for people to drop their existing postpaids/prepaids and completely switch to Umobile. But Umobile has this ‘change number’ feature which makes people proud of their personalized 0999 number and this could possibly attract them to keep Umobile as their secondary SIM. If everyone else is on Umobile, then their low rates for voice calls and text messages will be more appreciated.

First, I sent an email to ?mobile Customer Service (customerservice [at] umobile.com.ph) and asked for an invite code. (July 2, Wednesday, 4:30pm)

Then next morning, ?mobile Customer Service sent me an invite code.

We’re so happy that you want to be part of our ?mobile family! And as requested, here’s your invite code: xxxxxxxxxxx

Now all you have to do is plug in your invite code at www.umobile.com.ph and complete the forms. If accepted, we’ll send an email to notify you.

(Email date: July 3, Thursday, 6:41am)
(Email read: July 3, Thursday, 11:45am)

So I signed up right away. I filled out a LONG application form including the first 3 lifestyle questionnaires. Then I immediately got a reply from ?mobile:

Thanks for applying and answering the first round of lifestyle questionnaires on the site.

However, there’s another group of lifestyle questionnaires that you left unanswered. Maybe you’d like to go back and complete them so that we can get to know you even better.

(Email date: July 3, Thursday, 12:03 pm)

So I logged in to my ?mobile account and answered the remaining set of lifestyle questionnaires. Then I got another email:

Thanks for applying and finishing the questionnaires!

Your application is being processed. Just sit tight for our email saying that you’ve been approved as a ?mobile subscriber.

Then log on to www.umobile.com.ph and enter an exciting world of ?mobile.

(Email Date: July 3, Thursday, 12:10pm)

After 4 days, my application was approved.

It’s official! You are now part of the wonderful world of ?mobile. As part of the ?mobile community, you can call, text, MMS, surf the net, and chat online for free! Well, almost.

Wait for the call from our courier to confirm your SIM delivery details. Upon delivery of your new ?mobile SIM, please present 1 valid ID and submit a photocopy of this to the delivery personnel.

(Email Date: July 7, Monday, 9:02pm)

After 3 days, I got a text message from Zip Bus Srvs, the courier hired by Umobile to deliver the SIM. They asked me to call thru landline so we can discuss about the sim delivery. (SMS Date: July 10, Thursday, 4:21pm)

So I called and requested my SIM to be delivered the next day, July 11 at 10am. When she asked for my complete address, I told her that I will send it via text so she won’t have to write it down.

The next day, July 11, Friday, the sim didn’t arrive at the time I expected, which is 10am. The delivery guy arrived at 2pm. So late! I can’t complain, because it’s just a free sim.

Anyway, here it is, my Umobile SIM!

Umobile (?mobile), is an ad-funded mobile service owned by Smart Communications, that will be offering free load to its subscribers that agree to receive advertisements on their cell phones. There was already a similar service in Europe called Blyk, but Umobile is the first and only ad-funded mobile service provider in the Philippines and rest of Asia.

Umobile is targeting the 15 to 35 age bracket or the ‘youth and yuppies’ sector in the Philippines. Customers get P0.50 worth of pre-paid load each time a mobile ad message is received. As of now, membership is by invite only.

Important things to know about ?mobile

• Their prefix number is 0999.
• They have launched a website that will allow their customers to:
  • Change mobile number anytime, anywhere online. First change in number is FREE. Succeeding changes is only P50.00/change.
  • Send invite codes to friends.
• They have partnered with fring, a VoIP (www.fring.com). This enables customers to make VOIP calls, chat and interact with friends all over the world from his mobile to another PC and vice-versa. With ?mobile, you only have to pay for data minutes.
• Soon, they will be offering a product that will allow you to make calls and send/receive texts via PC to another ?mobile account and vice-versa with ?mobile’s virtual phone service.

Subscriber benefits
Customers approved between June 1st and August 31st 2008 will enjoy the following benefits

• FREE ?mobile SIM
• P100 free load for the very month for the next 6 months
• Earn rewards for every ad message received
• Enhanced communication with Fring (mobile VoIP)
• Nationwide coverage
• Earn rewards with every ad you see
• Mobile broadband surfing
• PC calling with Virtual Phone * (coming soon)

Service Rates

Voice Call

• ?mobile to ?mobile P5.00
• ?mobile to other networks P7.00
• ?mobile to landline P7.25
• IDD P10.00
• Video Call
• ?mobile to ?mobile 6.50

FringTM Call

• Date Rate P10.00/30mins.

SMS

• ?mobile to ?mobile P0.15
• ?mobile to other networks P0.75
• ISMS P8.00

MMS

• ? to ? P0.50
• IMMS P15.00

FringTM Messaging

• Date Rate P10.00/30mins.