Pantech breaks the cell phone mold

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teleguy
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Apr 9, 2005, 7:51 PM

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Former Audiovox submanufacturer Pantech tries a completely new approach in design.

What do you think about this? Would you like a phone/ camcorder that has this look? Would it make taking video from the phone easier?

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Daily Updates
Pantech & Curiotel shows camcorder-style cell phone

TOKYO (04/04/2005) - Taking a cue from the video recording function that is increasingly found in high-end cell phones, a South Korean company has developed a cell phone that looks like a camcorder.

The PH-L4000V from Pantech&Curitel Inc. went on sale late last week and at first glance could be mistaken for a small camcorder. When used for video recording it can be held like a camcorder and its QVGA-resolution 2-inch fold-out display can be twisted to face the user or the subject. There's also a 2X optical zoom lens and the video camera records to 128M bytes of internal memory or an RS-MMC memory card. It can also be connected directly to a television or monitor so recorded video can be watched on a larger screen.

The phone differs from conventional camcorders in one of the most important areas: image quality. The MPEG4 video resolution is about the same as that of a camcorder at 640 pixels by 480 pixels but the phone manages to record only 15 frames per second, which is about half the rate used by many camcorders and by broadcast television. The smaller number of frames per second could mean a slightly jerky picture.

There's also a still image photo mode, with a maximum resolution of 1,632 pixels by 1,224 pixels, and the phone includes an MP3 player and FM radio and transmitter. The latter can be used to play stored music through an FM radio on a frequency of the user's choosing.

The camcorder form factor makes for a slightly larger and heavier cell phone than is typical today. The handset measures 88.5 millimeters (mm) by 54.2 mm by 25.5 mm and weighs 150 grams. Standby time is 150 hours and talk time is 3 hours and 20 minutes.

The phone is compatible with the CDMA2000 standard and available through LG Telecom in South Korea. It costs around US$600 and there are no plans to put it on sale overseas.

teleguy
Enthusiast

May 6, 2005, 1:24 AM

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Pantech on the move again, this time buying a large share in a rival manufacturer, moving to increase the odds of success as Pantech moves out in it's own name brand as a supplier to carriers in the North American market.

With big players like Panasonic LEAVING the North American scene, what do you think of others like Pantech trying to make a go?

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South Korean handset vendor buys majority stake in rival
By Mike Dano
May 4, 2005
South Korean handset vendor Pantech&Curitel acquired a majority stake in wireless carrier SK Telecom's handset business, a move that could give the growing company additional weight in both the Korean market and the worldwide stage.
According to reports, Pantech&Curitel paid around $300 million for a 60-percent stake in SK Teletech, the handset business of SK Telecom. Although few outside Korea would likely recognize either company, both have worked to play in the international handset business.

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Pantech&Curitel sells phones under a variety of brands, including its own, in South Korea, China, Russia and elsewhere. It initially began selling phones in the United States in 1998 through PrimeCo Personal Communications L.P., which later became one of the carriers cobbled together to create Verizon Wireless. In 2002, Pantech&Curitel signed a distribution deal with Audiovox to sell handsets in the United States.

Earlier this year, Curitel entered a bid to buy Audiovox Communications Corp., the handset business of consumer electronics company Audiovox Corp. The move would have solidified its position in the U.S. market. However, Curitel ultimately lost to wireless technology vendor UTStarcom.

Late last year, Pantech&Curitel announced a deal to sell 10 million Pantech-branded phones in the United States through UTStarcom's Audiovox business. However, the company has yet to introduce any such phones in the American market.

SK Teletech too has recently played in the international scene. The company sells phones in South Korea as well as international markets. Recent reports indicated Nokia Corp. was in talks to outsource the manufacture of its CDMA EV-DO phones to SK Teletech. Both companies declined to comment on the reports.

Further, some reports indicate that SK Teletech is in discussions with Verizon Wireless to sell phones in the United States. Verizon generally refuses to comment on its handset activities.

The repercussions of Pantech&Curitel's SK Teletech acquisition are unclear. However, the agreement will likely bolster Pantech&Curitel's growing handset business and could give it additional weight in its efforts to expand in the U.S. handset market.