Pantech Set To Introduce Smallest, Lightest Ever Handset

12th, 2005: Pantech today announced plans to introduce its new A1405PT handset to the Japanese market. The new CDMA handset, which will be rolled out to Japanese consumers via Pantech’s partnership with the Japanese telecom operator KDDI will be the smallest, lightest mobile phone ever launched in Japan, weighing just 98g with a slim, compact design. The A1405PT model contains a number of unique features, including a stream screen, which displays text messages on the exterior LCD screen like a stream, and a security alarm, which makes a loud sound when the alarm button on the phone is pressed.

Pantech, Korea’s second largest handset manufacturer, signed an agreement last August to supply third-generation CDMA mobile phones to KDDI, which is one of the top three mobile phone service providers in Japan.

Under the terms of the deal - the first time that a Korean handset manufacturer has entered the Japanese market - the CDMA handsets are sold under the au and Pantech brand names.

The Japanese handset market is dominated by domestic manufacturers, such as NEC, Sharp and Panasonic. With 89 million mobile subscribers by the end of September 2005, Japan currently represents 7% of the world’s mobile handset market. In Japan, KDDI has 27% market share in the mobile carrier space and is the leader in 3G services, with around 51% market share.