Motorola is launching a renovated version of its old StarTAC cellphone exclusively in Korea. The entry-level StarTAC III MS900 is a modernized rebirth of the StarTAC, the world¡¯s first clamshell cellphone. Armored in a black scratch-resistant case, the new version is reminiscent of its famous forefather with its unique shape and style. Like the original, its lines are gently curved and it makes a ¡°click¡± when the cover opens and closes. It's due to hit Korean shelves in early March.
The original StarTAC with its tiny size and innovative functions was among Motorola's most popular phones since its launch in 1996. BusinessWeek magazine named it one of the hits products of that year. Some 1.3 million StarTAC were sold in Korea by 2000, an unprecedented success at the time when the wireless market was still in its early stages.
Motorola released a second StarTAC in Korea in 2004. Although it lacked the camera and MP3 player that other phones had, the second StarTAC performed well thanks to a legion of fans who missed the original.
A Motorola Korea spokesman called the StarTAC III a modern interpretation of the original that combined cutting-edge technology and a contemporary design specially tailored for the Korean market.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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