StarTAC makes a comeback
Motorola is giving an old classic a modern day touchup.
 The Motorola StarTAC III - Click to enarge |
In a statement released Tuesday, the handset maker announced that it will be releasing an updated version of its StarTAC mobile phone dubbed the StarTAC III. According to a Motorola spokesperson, the new iteration will be a multimedia-enabled handset and is slated for launch in Korea in April.
He added that the company has no plans yet to market the phone outside of the country.The original StarTAC phone--first unveiled in 1996--was one of Motorola's top-selling mobile phones in the North American market and featured a distinctive clamshell design.
While the new model will retain much of its predecessor's trademark aesthetic features--including the same flip-type form factor and black-colored body case--Motorola said it has introduced several modern technologies to make the device more appealing to today's savvier mobile audience.
New upgrades include support for MP3 playback, a 2.0 inch TFT QVGA LCD screen and an electronic dictionary with over 300,000 words. The StarTAC III weighs 92g and is also equipped with a Global Positioning Service (GPS) receiver.
However, Motorola clarified that the StarTAC III is not a third-generation-enabled handset and will only operate on the existing second-generation (2G) cellular networks in Korea.
According to Motorola, the StarTAC III will be priced at 297,000KRW (US$315).