Bluetooth technology is still relatively new in Myanmar but experienced buyers often search for the equipment. Pic: Aung Tun Win

IF earrings are an adornment for women to decorate their ears, then Bluetooth phone headsets have become the same thing for men. At least, that is what a spokesperson for Great Mobile Phone Handsets and Accessories sales and service said.

“Girls wear earrings and now boys are wearing Bluetooth sets as a new type of fashion,” she said.

Bluetooth is the name of a company that specialises in products which use a type of short range wireless data transfer between phones, computers and headphones within a certain distance, usually about 10 metres (30 feet).

But in Myanmar, as the technology is quite new, the best way of matching the word with a product is to watch someone apparently talk to themselves in a car or as they walk down the road. Actually, they are probably using a Bluetooth headset to speak with someone else.

Bluetooth-equipped mobiles entered Myanmar about three years ago but it is only in the last year they have found a place in the market, said U Yan Naing Soe Myint, general manager of Lu Gyi Min Cell Phone Villa.

“The market for Bluetooth started to gain popularity in 2006 and people have begun to look at the technology quite favourably since then,” he said.
And sales have increased significantly this year, said Great Mobile’s spokesperson.

“Last year we received a lot of inquires about Bluetooth handsets but sales were only about 10 percent of the all handsets sold. But this year sales have risen to about 40pc,” she said, adding that 20pc of these handset buyers also purchased Bluetooth headsets.

Genuine Bluetooth handsets cost about K250,000, while other wireless headsets imported from China cost between K35,000 and K40,000. Units imported from Singapore retail for K80,000.

Four brands control the mobile phone market: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and Motorola; with most handsets and headsets interchangeable between manufacturers.

Retailers said the ease of Bluetooth data and voice transfer attracted buyers and allowed them to wirelessly download MP3 files from other phones.

When Bluetooth headsets initially entered the market, buyers mainly chose large and elaborate designs which could be easily spotted but the trend is towards smaller, discreet units, said U Yan Naing Soe Myint.

He said that once people became familiar with the technology they look for functionality over appearance.

At U Yan Naing Soe Myint’s shop, young men account for as much as 80pc of Bluetooth buyers. In his opinion, young men bought the wireless sets because they allowed them to do other things while they talked. But he said that young women preferred to look stylish and fashionable and chose to talk on their handsets instead.

Great Mobile’s spokes-person said the shop did sell some Bluetooth kits to women.

“Some girls do like to use wireless units but they think they are hotshots…because it looks funny and makes it look like you are talking to yourself,” Great Mobile’s spokesperson said.

Great Mobile also sells Bluetooth sunglasses – which work just like headsets - but the shop’s spokesperson warned that they are expensive. She said that at K100,000 and shackled with an unattractive design, they were probably best left to those who crave the newest products.

Despite the array of Bluetooth items on the market, U Yan Naing Soe Myint said the technology was now well known but not popular.

He said people looking to buy their first mobile phone rarely considered Bluetooth. Instead, it was experienced users who had become familiar with the technology who bought wireless products.

U Yan Naing Soe Myint estimated the number of mobile phone owners in Myanmar to be about 1pc, with Bluetooth users making up less than 10pc of this number.

General Mobile’s spokesperson warned potential buyers to be mindful of several problems which could be encountered with the wireless kits.

She advised buyers to only turn the sets on when they were in use because some computer viruses could penetrate the device and damage data. One way of protecting against this was to install anti-virus software.

It is also important to be careful with the batteries because voltage surges during charging could cause damage.

Both retailers agreed that although the market for Bluetooth devices was small, it was likely to expand in line with the rest of the mobile industry.