Dubbed as the ‘Swing DMB phone’, SPH-B2300 has a unique swing designed LCD that allows users to watch TV using a horizontal LCD and make phone calls as if it was a slim bar-type phone. Simply turn the screen with one hand and the LCD will automatically stop at a widescreen view for T-DMB channels.

With the TV-Out function, the mobile phone can be connected to a regular TV to display DMB, text messages or photos.  The multi-tasking function lets the user make phone calls or send text messages while watching a DMB program. The phone can also be wirelessly connected directly to a printer without having to go through a PC.  It also comes with a 2 mega-pixel camera, MP3 player and external memory slot (MicroSD).

The company had already introduced the world’s first satellite DMB phone (SCH-B100), followed by a dual-mode (satellite and terrestrial) model (SPH-B4100) to take the lead in the DMB market. Samsung was the first in Korea to introduce a T-DMB phone (SPH-B1200) in February 2005.  On January 2nd, the company announced its launch of a “swing-type” (the SPH-B2300) version, coinciding with the start of commercial DMB service in Korea on December 1st of last year.                                                                                                                                

Ki-tae Lee, President of Telecommunications Network Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “We expect the global Mobile Broadcasting market to surge sharply with the World Cup in Germany and Olympics in Beijing. Samsung will take advantage of distinctive DMB technology to lead the world market.”

The new service is expected to catch on in the coming year. T-DMB service subscribers can enjoy high quality pictures and sound via seven different video channels and up to thirteen audio channels.

The SPH-B2300 is being sold in Korea at around US0.