Pantech unveils new quad-core smartphone

South Korean handset maker Pantech Co. on Monday unveiled the Vega R3, a quad-core smartphone with a powerful battery, in a bid to take on competitors amid a flood of new device releases.

   Pantech said it aims to outperform rivals with the Vega R3, which is "the best existing quad-core smartphone" that enables users to handle the device with one hand despite the large display size.

   "The smartphone market is changing into an unprecedented scene of fierce competition ... Vega R3 is the best existing quad-core smartphone. I dare tell competitors to learn from Pantech," company vice president Lee Joon-woo said in a launching event.

   The Vega R3 packs Sharp Corp.'s 5.3-inch Natural IPS Pro liquid crystal display and runs on Qualcomm Inc.'s Snapdragon S4 processor, according to Pantech.

The company said it ramped up battery power to 2,600 milliampere-hour, which outperforms those of locally released handsets, and stepped up efforts to shorten charging time for user convenience.

   Meanwhile, Pantech implanted some features aimed to enhance user experience.

   The smartphone's "best face" feature helps users choose the best shots of different people in a photo to satisfy all pictured users, while a "mini window" function allows users look up words in a dictionary while watching videos with subtitles.

   Pantech plans to release the Vega R3 through the country's three mobile carriers starting Tuesday. The device will only be released in the long-term evolution version.

   Meanwhile, Pantech pinned hopes on the new device despite growing competition in the local smartphone market. Apple Inc.'s iPhone 5 is set to hit local shelves soon, while Samsung is also expected to release the Galaxy Note 2. Last week, LG Electronics Inc. unveiled the Optimus G, with plans to roll out the model this month.

   "Pantech grabbed the No. 2 market share last year. If we properly compete with the iPhone 5, we anticipate reclaiming the position sometime in the first half," said Lee Yong-joon, executive vice president of Pantech.

   The company's launching event in Gangnam was planned to emulate Psy's revolutionary success, Lee added, referring to the rapper-singer who rose to stardom with his "Gangnam Style" music video.

   "We may not be on level with Apple in terms of brand value. But the Gangnam event symbolizes our will to bring on a revolution."

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