News 2006
Virgin Mobile introduces BenQ Siemens E61 mofi phone
22/05/2006
Virgin Mobile today announced that it will be the first network to launch the BenQ Siemens E61 mofi phone, the latest and best-value MP3 phone on the market, and designed exclusively for music lovers. The phone will be available from Virgin Mobile stores for just £99.99, an amazing price for such a high-spec phone, from late May 2006.
Guaranteed to be every music lover’s dream, the BenQ Siemens E61 mofi allows music fans to store up to 500 tracks and will retail at only £99.99 on Pay As You Go, and free on Pay Monthly. This stylish phone lets you talk, text, take photos and listen to hours of music. It has its own music control panel with five dedicated music keys – up and down, rewind, fast forward and play/pause - so it’s simple to use. It will also allow you to pause a track automatically to allow a call to be taken or to listen to a favourite track while checking messages. Its 6 band graphic equalizer with 3D surround sound makes this phone a true music device in its own right. Customers can also sing along to their favourite tunes with the on-screen lyric display*. The phone also features a 65K colour screen, camera and a stereo headset.
Customers wanting to be one of the first to get their hands on this great phone will be able to order from www.virginmobile.com/mobile or by calling 0845 6000 600. Alternatively the phone will be widely available from Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores nationwide and other high street retailers across the UK. There is also the opportunity for five lucky new customers to win a year’s worth of gig tickets with the purchase of the phone through the golden ticket promotion from late May until 31st July 2006.
This stylish black and orange phone comes with £5 of Virgin Mobile airtime on the SIM, battery and charger, boasting:
- MP3 ringtones
- Built-in VGA camera
- Built-in music player
- Download and store up to 500 songs
- Listen to songs via the stereo headset
- Dedicated buttons to access music on the move
- 512MB memory card for storing music, data and photos
- 65K colour screen
- Tri Band
- Games
- GPRS
- Data Cable
- Lanyard
Graeme Hutchinson, sales and marketing director at Virgin Mobile, said: “The E61 mofi phone is a perfect fit for Virgin Mobile’s customers who love their music and want to combine their phone with an MP3 player so they don’t have to carry two gadgets. We are very excited to be the first network to launch this great phone and we are sure it will be extremely popular.”
Louise Forbes, Head of Marketing, BenQ Mobile UK, said: “As the only dedicated music phone available for £99 on pre-pay, the BenQ-Siemens E61 mofi occupies a unique space in the market. BenQ-Siemens are delighted to be partnering with Virgin Mobile for this exciting launch and offering their customers a targeted product that will suit their music needs perfectly.”
*subject to compatible MP3k downloads
For review units, photography and further press information , please contact:
Jo Baker, Virgin Mobile press office
07941 233300 or 0845 6006272
pressoffice@virginmobile.com
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile Holdings (UK) plc, the UK's largest mobile virtual network operator, is majority owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and uses T-Mobile's network. Since its launch in November 1999, Virgin Mobile has attracted more than 4 million customers*.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virginmobile.com or on the high street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Dixons, Phones 4u, Curry's, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Argos, TOMO, Woolworths, Toys R Us and Ryman plus hundreds of independents mobile phones dealers and available via Shop Direct, Littlewoods, Grattan and Empire home shopping channels.
Virgin Mobile Pay Monthly (contract) is currently available in Virgin Mobile Stores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Phones 4u and at concessions in WHSmith and at www.virginmobile.com
Virgin Mobile employs approximately 1,400 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough.
Virgin Mobile's customers were found to be the most-satisfied mobile consumers in the pre-pay sector for two years running in 2005 and 2004, according to the surveys by J.D. Power and Associates. Virgin Mobile is also featured in `The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For’ list 2005 and is part of the FTSE4Good Index.
*On a 90-day activity basis
