Additionally, the company’s t709 took second place in the mobile phone/camera phone category, while its i830 and t719 were awarded second and third place in the smartphone category, respectively.  Award recipients were announced today in a ceremony at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the CTIA WIRELESS 2006 Convention.

The Wireless E-tech Awards program is designed to give industry recognition and exposure to the best wireless products and services in the areas of Consumer, Enterprise and Network technology.  Nearly 200 applications were submitted and reviewed by a panel of recognized members of the media, industry analysts and executives, as well as select show attendees.  Products were judged on innovation, functionality, technological importance, implementation and overall “wow” factor.

“Samsung is displaying its most advanced phone showcase at this convention, and we’re honored to have our products recognized by an organization as prestigious as the CTIA,” said Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president, Samsung. “Samsung’s reputation for giving consumers the best wireless devices with the features they demand will be further strengthened with these award-wining products.” 

“We are extremely proud of the E-tech awards program and continually amazed at the level of ingenuity present in the submissions,” said Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director for CTIA WIRELESS. “On behalf of CTIA, we congratulate Samsung on this accomplishment and look forward to their continued innovation in the field of camera and smart phones.”

The Samsung t509, displayed for the first time at the CTIA WIRELESS 2006 Convention, boasts an ultra-thin profile of only 9.8 mm.  The t509 features high-speed EDGE connectivity and BluetoothÒ wireless technology to support delivery of entertainment and information on-demand services.

In addition to its WiFi and Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technologies, Samsung’s t709 is a tiny EDGE-enabled device weighing only 3.3 ounces, packing a range of features, including a 1.3 megapixel camera, an MP3 player, a video player, dual stereo speakers, speakerphone and an enhanced 262K-color TFT screen, bringing rich, vibrant sound and image qualities to pictures, music, video clips and ringtones. 

The i830 is exclusive to Verizon Wireless and allows international travelers to keep one phone and one phone number almost anywhere they go, via its dual mode, CDMA/GSM functionality.  The i830 is designed for business travelers who want to stay productive while on the road.  The full QWERTY keyboard, revealed by sliding the phone’s screen, makes developing and maintaining critical documents a breeze. 

Samsung’s groundbreaking t719 is expected to hit the U.S. market as the first phone incorporating RIM® Blackberry Connect™ Email in a compact, slim folder design.  With its SureType keyboard, convenient thumb pad and speakerphone, the EDGE-enabled, quad-band t719 boasts a 2.12-inch, 262K-color TFT screen that provides an ideal view for emails, file downloads and video capture/playback.