Pantech is preparing to launch another phablet in South Korea. Called Pop Up Note, it’s different than their previous big phone, Pantech Secret Note, in that sense that it doesn’t target users looking for the very best device there is. Rather, it comes with last-year’s top specs and likely a more affordable price tag.
These [specs] include a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2GB of RAM, 5.5-inch full HD screen, 13MP rear + 2.1MP front cameras, and “just” 16GB of expandable storage. There’s no newer Snapdragon 801 or 805, Quad HD display nor 3GB of RAM. What Pantech did include is a premium design and build quality, as well as a stylus that Pops Up (hence the name) from one of the phone’s sides. This, the thinking must be, should convince some users this is the device they want to buy rather than some more expensive competitor, such as the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
We know Pantech for their amazing devices that never get to reach to the Western hemisphere. However, it’s not an easy task to compete with Samsung and LG, so they are apparently changing the strategy; instead of launching top-end devices that cost a small fortune, the company is turning to mid-end of the market while adding premium build quality to the mix.
Pantech has to try something; recently, they’ve pretty much begged the three local operators — SKT, KT and LG U+ — to commit to large-scale purchases of its mobile devices. Without their support, the company could pretty much leave the [smartphone] market. We would add that they should try harder to bring their amazing products to the West cause we think there are people who would buy their gear in Europe and North America.
We’ll see where the Pantech saga goes from here. Meanwhile, here’s a hands-on Pop Up note video; check it out and let us know how you like it.
[Via: G4Games]