Waging a battle of the slimmest

The grip on the ultra-thin mobile handset market enjoyed by global cell phone giants Samsung Electronics Co. and Motorola Inc. is about to be loosened by three domestic manufacturers who are eager for a bit of the action. The new participants are LG Electronics Inc., the world’s fourth largest cell phone maker, Pantech & Curitel Communications Inc., Korea’s third biggest cell phone maker, and mid-tier manufacturer VK. Following the release of its 17.2-millimeter thick “slim slider” phone in July, LG will unveil a handset less than 14.5 millimeters thick this year. This month, Pantech launched its premium “slim-series” handsets in Russia, and plans to release them worldwide in the near future. The mobile phone maker is focusing on further expanding its premium image in key markets such as Russia, where it dominates the high-tier handset sector with an 8 percent market share. As part of the growth of the Pantech brand name, the company said in a press release earlier this month that it plans to ramp up its sales and marketing campaigns across Europe, South America, China, India and the Middle East over the coming months. VK, a mid-tier Korean cell phone maker, last week unveiled the country’s slimmest and lightest handset, the 48-gram, 8.8-millimeter-thick VK2000. VK, a former rechargeable battery manufacturer, mainly targets the Chinese market but plans to cater to domestic consumers through the introduction of a new model with wideband code division multiple access, the digital mobile technology used in third-generation phones, in December. Underlying the demand for ultra-slim handsets is a growing consumer weariness of ever-bulkier phones with additional features such as MP3 players and cameras, according to an industry expert. The bitter rivalry over ultra-slim handsets between Samsung Electronics and Motorola erupted when both unveiled 14.5-millimeter phones on the same day in June. Samsung released the SCH-V740, a slim mobile phone with a wireless Bluetooth headset to use with its music player, while Motorola rolled out its clamshell-type RAZR model. The world’s second biggest handset vendor is soon to release the RAZR II, which will also be fitted with wideband code division multiple access technology, and the candy-bar-shaped “Sliver” line with even slimmer features this year. The competition is likely to go global as Samsung recently revealed its plan to offer about 10 new wafer-thin models in the United States by the end of the year. by Lee Weon-ho, Seo Ji-eun