South Korea's second largest phone maker, Pantech, has launched a slider phone aimed at the local mobile media player market, touting the handset's near-widescreen display and its MP3 and video playback facilities.

The IM-U100 sports a 2.6in display with a 15:9 aspect ratio. It's not quite the 16:9 ratio you see on a widescreen TV, or even a 2.35:1 you get at the movies, but it's better than the 4:3 ratio most phones offer. It's backed by a "high quality loud speaker", Pantech said.

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The handset also features a two-megapixel digicam with a panoramic photography capability and auto-focus mechanism. It supports PictBridge for direct USB printer connections. There's infra-red connectivity on board, but no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It has a CDMA 1x EV-DO radio. Ringtones come through a 64-voice polyphonic sound engine.

Pantech said the IM-U100 will go on sale in South Korea "later this month" for around KRW541,179 ($550). ®