ASIA : LG Electronics has unveiled an innovative mobile phone model equipped with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, unique designs and functions, in the U.S. mobile phone market. The model is aimed primarily at young people.

LG Electronics announced it is introducing the QWERTY messenger phone (model: LG-F9100) through the largest U.S. mobile operator Cingular. The model is equipped with a slide-out keyboard featuring standard English alphabetic QWERTY keys 1, enabling the user to do instant messaging more conveniently.

The prime feature of the QWERTY messenger phone is the slide-out keyboard, making it easy to type, and allowing the users to do instant messaging such as AOL, ICQ, and Yahoo messengers, SMS, and e-mail on a wide screen.

According to LG Electronics, the company developed this trendy model in a joint bid with Cingular to respond timely to the market trends that call for a wide variety of wireless Internet services. Furthermore, the model is adored with simple “intenna design” and colored in premium black, aiming at young generation and young adults who seek a differentiation from others.

The LG-F9100 model was recognized for such innovative designs, and recently received iF Design Award from International Forum Design (iF), the world’s authoritative industrial design association based in Germany. The keyboard-equipped mobile phone will be showcased at the 2005 CeBit Show, which will run in Hanover, Germany, for a week from March 10.

In addition, the product was unveiled at the world’s largest electronics fair, 2005 International CES held in Las Vegas in early January. The company said that the model spurred much attention from American consumers and others from various nations, and that it will launch promotional events for the mobile phone in tandem with Cingular.

Juno Cho, Executive Vice President for North America Business Division, said, “The QWERTY messenger phone was developed based on our thorough study of the mobile lifestyle of young American people. LG Electronics will continue efforts to unveil other innovative models with a wide variety of unique designs and functions.”

Cingular emerged as the largest mobile operator with a nationwide GSM network in the U.S., as it merged with the third largest mobile operator, AT&T, Wireless last year, securing a total of 46 million subscribers. Cingular launched 2.7-generation EDGE services early this year, and is pushing to develop innovative services focused on offering high-speed data.

Meanwhile, LG Electronics was selected last year as a preferred 3G phone supplier, the only Korean company of this kind, together with Nokia and Motorola, by Cingular in the latter’s bid to launch the 3-generation WCDMA services in the U.S. market at the end of this year.