Samsung Phone Helped Lift Spirits of Trapped Chilean Miners

The Chilean mining accident that grabbed the world's attention has thrust a Samsung cell phone into the spotlight in Latin America.

According to U.S. and Chilean media, among the items sent through a hole to help the 33 trapped miners stay alive was a Samsung beam projector cell phone.

The phone, called the Haptic Beam in Korea, was chosen because of its projector function, which lets users beam videos and pictures stored on the device onto any surface, creating a picture as big as 50 inches.

The phone sent to the miners contained a message of encouragement from Chile’s mining minster. It also enabled the trapped men to watch movies and a recording of a friendly soccer match between Chile and Ukraine.

"We're proud that our technology could play a part in this mining miracle," a Samsung spokesperson said.