Korean telecom operator SK Telecom plans to roll out 15 new Smartphones in 2010, 13 of which will be based on Google's open source Android platform, the AFP reported on January 14. Under the plan, SK Telecom aims to have 25 Smartphone models available in the market by 2013, with its Smartphones' share reaching around 40% of the company's total phone models, as part of the company's efforts to diversify its product lines in order to become more profitable. The number of iPhones sold through KT (Korea Telecom) has reached 240,000 units since its launch in Korea on November 28, 2009, eroding the market share of SK Telecom's Smartphones.

 

In addition, SK Telecom announced on January 14 that the company has mulled over launching a mobile phone embedded with WiBro (Wireless Broadband) and Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), the Maeil Business Newspaper reported on January 14. SK Telecom's WiBro network coverage currently includes 84 cities in Korea but the WiBro service is still at the early stages. In late-December 2009, KT launched Korea's first Smartphone supporting WiBro, Wi-Fi, and WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) technologies, dubbed Show Ominas.