Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced its new SCH-V740 “ultra slim phone” for the Korean market, a strike back at Motorola Inc.’s popular Razr phone.
Motorola has scored a high level of industry buzz with its super-slim Razr clamshell-style phone. The GPRS phone is available in the United States through Cingular Wireless L.L.C. Motorola recently announced its intent to sell a CDMA version of the Razr in South Korea.
Samsung’s new V740 is an attempt to block Motorola’s advances on its home turf. Motorola and Samsung are locked in a battle over the No. 2 slot for worldwide phone market share-Motorola currently owns the position, but Samsung is breathing down the company’s neck.
The V740 compares closely with Motorola’s Razr. The V740 measures 98 by 51 millimeters and is 14.5 millimeters thick, while Motorola’s Razr is 98 by 55 millimeters and 13.9 millimeters thick. Samsung’s device sports a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, global positioning system, an MP3 player and support for CDMA EV-DO networks. Motorola’s Razr is designed for GPRS networks and features a VGA camera, Bluetooth and 3D graphics. However, Motorola has said it will include a megapixel camera in its CDMA Razr.
Samsung said it will sell the V740 in South Korea in the first half of this year. A Motorola spokeswoman said the company’s CDMA Razr would be available in Asia in the second half of the year.
