Sony and MOT selling handsets in Korea...
April 15, 1998 (SEOUL) -- Sony Corp. and Motorola Inc. joined the increasing
number of foreign suppliers in Korea's cellular phone market.
Sony started sales of its new Z100 PCS handset through Korea's Kolon
Information and Communications Co.
The model is a revision of Sony's analog handset into a code- division multiple
access (CDMA) PCS handset.
To date, Hansol PCS Co., Ltd. has been the exclusive importer of the Z100. It
weighs 120 grams and is the size of a cigarette pack. It has 25 hours of standby
time and 150 minutes of continuous call time.
Kolon Information and Communications said it is selling the PCS handset for
590,000 won (US$418), although the total cost for the model is 600,000 won
(US$425). The company said it has received numerous calls from potential
subscribers.
Also being imported into Korea is the Q-phone, Sony's latest PCS handset
model. It is estimated that 1,500 handsets, priced at 870,000 won (US$617)
each, will be sold within two months.
U.S.-based Motorola Inc. also started sales of its CDMA cellular phone in
March, and it plans to launch a PCS handset that weighs 80 grams at the end of
the year.
A spokesman for a domestic PCS supplier said Korean PCS handset makers are
currently the world's leading suppliers of CDMA handsets. He contended that
although the foreign-made handsets have eye-catching designs, they fall behind in
quality and functions and are no threat to domestically made handsets.
(Maeil Business Newspaper, Korea) |
