rizwan
Administrator
Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 124
Location: Lahore, Pakistan
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 Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 8:18 am Post subject: VK Mobile goes bust, Pantech may follow, Helio wobbles |
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[color=blue][b]VK Mobile goes bust, Pantech may follow, Helio wobbles[/b][/color]
VK Mobile, a second-tier Korean mobile phone company who briefly held the title of world's thinnest phone, has filed for bankruptcy. Despite more than 2 billion GSM handsets now connected worlwide, the cost of developing new handsets is so great that second tier manufacturers are struggling to survive.
According to the Korea Times,
"The bankruptcy of VK shows how tough the global mobile phone market is for second-string makers both at home and abroad,'' said Greg Roh, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities.
Worse, Roh believes that of the remaining Korean mobile phone manufacturers, only Samsung and LG will survive, which is ominous news for Pantech.
It's also bad news for new US MVNO Helio, which promised to bring Korea mobile phone technology to the US. VK Mobile makes the Helio KickFlip, whilst Pantech makes the Helio Hero. If both manufacturers fail, Helio will looking for new suppliers, and quick.
Well, actually, maybe not that quick. According to Gizmodo, Helio has only managed to attract 100 (yes, one hundred!) subscribers in two months. Helio naturally deny this, stating in EngadgetMobile:
"This morning's report by Telecoms Korea is wholly inaccurate and does not represent Helio's membership figures."
But at that rate, even if both VK Mobile and Pantech fail, Helio should still have enough handsets remaining for the next 10,000 years or so!
The Korea Times also reports that Motorola may buy out the remains of VK Mobile, and sell VK Mobile handsets under the Motorola brand. These handsets will presumably be low-end models, though the difference between Korean phones and Motorola's are so great that even a disposable VK Mobile phone is twice as feature-packed as the latest Motorola! Then again, so was my Casio calculator watch circa 1981! Nothing confirmed on Motorola's involvement yet, so watch this space.
So farewell, VK Mobile. You were quirky, fun even, and your PR stunts with were nothing if not brazen. From topless women to tits-up in in 4 short months. You will be missed, even if few outside of Korea have ever actually seen one of your phones!
[b]Source:[/b] [url=http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200607/kt2006070717512910230.htm]Korean Times[/url] |
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