Seoul, Korea, Jan. 10, 2008 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced today the launch of SGH-F490, a powerful multimedia phone with a 16:9 wide full touch screen and intuitive user interface for the European market.

Samsung F490’s debut comes amid rising popularity of touch screen technology. With the most up-to-date 3.2 inch 16:9 wide screen, the F490 provides a panoramic view of pictures or videos as well as a larger screen space for Internet surfing. To support enjoyable Internet browsing, Samsung F490 also embedded the Google Search and optimized full browser for web pages in both vertical and horizontal views.

Samsung F490 will be available in some European countries from February at around 530 euros.

“Samsung F490 is the solution for consumers who want to use Internet wherever and whenever they want,” said Geesung Choi, President of Samsung’s Telecommunications Business. “F490 is not only a powerful multimedia device but also a stylish fashion item with sleek and charming design. We are proud to introduce this new innovative multimedia handset to global consumers.”

The only 11.8mm minimal slim bar with rounded corners and glossy surface looks chic and advanced, adding a pleasure to hold in the hand.

The stylish and intuitive ‘Croix UI’ which has been awarded iF Communication Design Award 2007, involves two bars that cross-hatch, enabling users to enjoy all functions just with tapping and dragging.

During song playback, users can easily move left/right to rewind/fast forward and move up/down to adjust volume. It has an enthusiastic reflection on the usability in terms of input methods, basic navigation, content access methods and task completion scenarios. And haptic feedback offers tangible assurance making the proper selections on the touch screen.

From listening to music to snapping photos and video with the embedded 5 Mega pixel camera, Samsung F490 will satisfy users with the latest audio and video functions such as the combination of standard 3.5mm audio jack, and support for compatible microSD cards plus 130MB internal memory.

Samsung F490 offers an enhanced multimedia experience with fast HSDPA networks. Downloading large files, streaming videos, and even holding video conversations are easier than ever with speeds as fast as 3.6Mbps. With Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0, users also will be connected to a range of peripherals including wireless headsets and mobile printing.