“Speed and power.”
This is what Christopher Uyco answered when asked what Torque mobile phones and tablets can offer.

Uyco is the president and CEO of Topstrasse Global Inc., the company that owns the local mobile brand Torque phones. Launched in December 2008, Torque is one of the best-selling local brands of cheap but trendy phones in the Philippines today as the features of Torque phones rival those that high-end phones offer.

Uyco knows the mobile phone business well since his family was the first distributor of mobile phones like Sony Ericson, Bosch, Siemens, Samsung and Philips in the Philippines in 1986.

After his graduation in 1996, Uyco immediately worked for his father’s company, and he focused on the mobile phones and gadgets segment. His training as an ECE engineer served him well as he got to know the intricacies of mobile phone operations and business.

In 2008, Uyco put up Topstrasse Global Inc. and in December of that year, he launched his very first cellphone, which he described as the “cheapest and most affordable complete phone, which at that time meant it had a camera, bluetooth and colored screen.”

It was a huge success, especially because at that time the cheapest phone in that category was over P3,000, while Torque phone was only P1,999.

Uyco said that aside from pricing, what really sets Topstrasse apart from other local mobile companies is that his firm does “backward engineering.” Topstrasse studies existing phone brands in the market to find out what the best features are and incorporates these into its own. Others call it customization, but Uyco said it is giving what consumers want at the best possible price.

“That’s why we came out with the world’s first triple GSM phone in 2010,” Uyco said.

What was available at that time was a triple sim phone, but with a GSM-GSM-CDMA network. The Philippines does not use a CDMA network, which is why Topstrasse developed a triple GSM phone. Now, China sells this technology.

Topstrasse now markets its Torque mobile phones and tablets nationwide. Since 2008, the company launched more than 80 different cellphone models.

Another pleasant surprise for Topstrasse is that its tablet PCs and 32GB micro-SDs have become bestsellers. The aggressive marketing has paid off, with Torque phones now cornering about eight percent to nine percent of the market share in the Philippines.

While Torque products are made in China, Topstrasse designs and does the blueprinting in the Philippines. The specs are then sent to its two factories in Shenzen, China where the prototypes are made and sent back to the Philippines for testing and approval.

Uyco said that Topstrasse has some of the best android phones and tablets in the market, but his company is getting ready to launch more than just phones and tablet PCs.

“Our vision for Torque is for every Filipino to have at least one Torque product at home. It could be a cellphone, TV, laptop, tablet or even an electronic toothbrush,” he said.

He foresees the growth of his company as a brand not just for mobile phones and tablets, but for other consumer electronics as well. He cites two Korean global brands Samsung and LG that started with a few consumer products but have expanded into almost everything needed at home and in business.

Uyco is very satisfied with his company’s huge growth that he can’t wait to implement all his other ideas and projects, which are now with his research and development team.

Best of all, he said that he hopes to realize his dream of having a global Filipino brand competing with the best and the biggest consumer electronic brands worldwide.