Pantech are hoping to attract customers with their "Secret Note"

Ever heard of Pantech? Probably not recently. The struggling tech company recently lost its head, who stepped down after ordering almost 1/3 of the workforce to take a six month ‘vacation’. The company is now hoping to gain some credibility back (from staff and customers alike), with the release of a new 5.9-inch phablet: the VEGA Secret Note.
Pantech has posted three consecutive quarters of serious losses starting at 81.2Bn won in the fourth quarter 2012, to 7.8Bn won, widening to 49.5Bn won in the second quarter of 2013. Sales also plunged for a third consecutive quarter from 507.4 billion won in the third quarter of last year to 33.2 billion won in the second quarter of 2013.
Despite the doom and gloom the company’s CEO is trying to remain positive, stating that “Within a year, we will lay the groundwork for a new Pantech that could last at least for the next 50 years,”
The VEGA Secret Note features a pen, first seen in Samsung’s Galaxy Note phablet in 2011. It also has a “secret key” which unlocks the phone and gives access to the owner’s protected data.
The Vega Secret Note will be sold from next week in Korea through all three domestic mobile operators, KT, SK, and LG U at around 1M won. For overseas consumers the device will remain secret, as no plan has been made for overseas sales, a company spokesman revealed.
The company is also planning to unveil a curved phone and smartwatch. Samsung Electronics, who launched its Galaxy Gear smartwatch last month, announced Wednesday the curved Galaxy Round smartphone, the world’s first. “We’re planning a curved smartphone and a wearable watch,” CEO Park said. “We are thinking of what kind of benefits we can offer the public.”

Edited from Original Source: Joongang Daily

Related Article List

Top News Items From Korean Tech: Mobile Commerce Grows, Naver Shares Bounce Back, Pantech in Trouble Eight News Stories From Korea’s Mobile & Technology Industry, Featuring Samsung, LG, Pantech Korean Smartphone Market Set to Heat up as Autumn Temperatures Cool Korea Stands Out In Asia As a Key Test Market For Global Tech Companies, Including Facebook Korean Government To Turn Its Back On Microsoft… And Use What Instead, Hangul?