Samsung launches new CDMA phone series

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Samsung Electronics Thursday launched a new series of CDMA phones, which will have the capability to operate on all the three CDMA service providers' platforms.

The Mpower series of CDMA phones have the capability to inter-operate on Reliance Mobile, Tata Indicom and Virgin Mobile, the company said.

The MPower phones adapt to the network settings of the respective service provider on change of the SIM card. Most CDMA phones come 'network-locked', which means a customer using a Reliance CDMA handset will not be able to use it for Tata services.

'The MPower series is unique in that they allow the users to seamlessly shift between any of the three CDMA operators. By making the phones available in the open market, we are making our phones available to a wider base of CDMA consumers,' Samsung's telecom division country head Sunil Dutt said.

The phones also perform the function of data cards on connection to laptops through data cable or the Bluetooth wireless technology, eliminating the need for purchase of separate data cards, Dutt added.

The two models launched MPower 569 and MPower 309 are priced at Rs.9,900 and Rs.6,300, respectively. Samsung has a series of CDMA handsets in the open market priced in the range between Rs.6,300 and Rs.14,999.