In conjunction with SK Telecom (SKT), Motorola announced the release of the first Android smart phone in South Korea. The debut of the Motoroi steps up to the challenge from Korea Telecom (KT) which distributes the iPhone in South Korea.
On January 18th, SKT and Motorola had a press conference to announce the debut of the Motoroi. The launch was held at Shilla Hotel in the Jung District, central Seoul.
In the press release Motorola’s CEO Sanjay Jha said,
“We are delighted to announce MOTOROI™, the first Android-based phone, with SK Telecom in Korea, a key partner in one of Motorola’s key markets in the world,” said Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices. “MOTOROI™ is a smart phone without compromise, delivering a wiser, richer web and messaging experience with the most delightful touch-interface you have ever experienced, all made possible through the combination of Motorola’s expertise in design, a truly differentiated Android experience, and the power of SK Telecom’s network.”
The press release goes into more detail with a quote from an SKT executive:
“Motorola’s smart phones powered by Android are receiving tremendous response around the world, and it is our pleasure to introduce one of them for the first time in Korea,” said Ha Sung-min, MNO president of SK Telecom™. “MOTOROI™ by Motorola will bring a paradigm shift in the domestic mobile market with outstanding Internet, multimedia features and access to the fast-growing Android Market™.”
The Motoroi features a 3.7-inch HD WVGA touch screen display with 480 x 854 resolution. It has up to 8 GB storage and microSD support up to 32 GB. It also has HDMI-out, 3.5mm earphone jack, and support for T-DMB television tuning.
The camera on this phone is impressive. It has an 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash plus 720p HD recording ability. The camera also has other functions like panorama, multi-shot (6 shots in a row), red-eye reduction, camera shake reduction, and face detection.
The phone also has a full range of Google apps: Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps, and one touch playback of YouTube videos. The phone has a Microsoft and PDF document viewer. It also has a program called “Optical Character Recognition”. The program scans, translates and reads business cards. It then stores the information into the phone’s address book.
The Motoroi will be available at SKT retailers throughout South Korea beginning in early February. Consumers in South Korea can learn more by going to Motorola Korea site (in Korean).
Source: Motorola Media Center – Motorola Introduces MOTOROI™, Korea’s First Smart Phone Powered by Android 2.0
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