First dual-mode WiMax and CDMA phone revealed

Samsung has revealed a dual-mode mobile phone which supports mobile WiMax wireless internet access and standard 3G CDMA technology, industry sources have revealed to vnunet.com. 

The prototype next-generation handset is being shown at the CommunicAsia trade show in Singapore, according to sources who have seen the phone. 

The new Samsung dual-mode slider phone supports CDMA and WiBro, a Korean-developed variant of the 802.16e mobile WiMax standard.

No other information has emerged about the prototype, and the company's headquarters had not replied to questions by the end of office hours in Korea.

Korean media reported last month that Samsung was rumoured to be working on a new WiBro device, dubbed the Dual-Band Dual-Mode phone. The rumours appear to refer to the product unveiled in Singapore.

Among other products on show in Singapore, Samsung launched what it claims is the world's thinnest phone, the 6.9mm Ultra Edition 6.9 (X820) which weighs 66g.

The company also released a 12.9mm phone with a 3-megapixel camera. These new phones all have 80MB of memory.

Korean telecoms service providers and manufacturers are strongly backing the WiBro standard. Korea Telecom, the country's largest provider of fixed-line phone services, plans to launch a commercial WiBro service this month, according to the Korea Times.