Samsung unveils 2 4G smartphones in Korea

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's second-largest mobile-phone maker, released two new smartphones here on Monday as global mobile operators move to faster fourth-generation (4G) networks. 

Samsung is confident that sales of the two new Galaxy handsets compatible with long-term evolution (LTE) technology will exceed shipments of its previous smartphones, a company representative said.

"Sales of the LTE smartphones will be as good as the Galaxy S and the Galaxy S2 smartphones," Shin Jong-kyun, the company's president of mobile communications, said at a media event announcing the new Galaxy series.

Samsung sold 10 million Galaxy S2 smartphones worldwide since its debut in April, the tech titan said Sunday.

"As users want to enjoy more multimedia content, the need for LTE will rise quickly," Shin said. "Mobile carriers in advanced countries are transitioning to the 4G service at a faster rate than in the past."

The speed of the mobile Internet on the LTE network is up to five times faster than the third-generation (3G) wireless network, giving more rapid video streaming and Web surfing experiences to phone users.

Two mobile operators in South Korea launched LTE networks in major Korean cities this summer. SK Telecom Co., the largest mobile carrier, plans nationwide LTE coverage by 2013 while LG Uplus Corp., the smallest carrier, aims to offer LTE service across the country next year.

The first new LTE smartphone from Samsung sports a 4.5-inch wide Super AMOLED display with a 1.5-gigahertz dual core processor.

It will sell for 858,000 won (US$736).

The second model features a 4.65-inch high-definition display and will cost around 900,000 won, according to the company.

Other phone makers have been readying new LTE smartphones to work with carriers' 4G service plans. Taiwan-based HTC Corp., the world's fourth-largest smartphone maker, unveiled its Raider 4G smartphone in South Korea last week. 

Samsung's mobile chief added that the company is on track to hit its sales targets for tablet computers and mobile phones, shrugging off concerns that deepening legal rows with Apple Inc.

may crimp Samsung sales worldwide.

A German court upheld a sales ban on Samsung's Galaxy tablet computer in Germany earlier this month, after Apple complained that the Galaxy Tab copied the iPad.

"Earlier this year, we said that we will increase tablet sales by five times from last year. I think we can meet that target,"

Shin said.

Samsung and Apple are facing off in around 20 lawsuits worldwide over designs and patents of smartphones and tablet computers.   (Yonhap News)