By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are engaged in a full-scale marketing war for their new ``haptic'' phones, which appeal not only to the ears and eyes, but also to the fingers.
The new mobile phones have large touch-sensitive screens that are adequate for Internet browsing and multimedia playing. They also vibrate to the touch of the users to compensate for the absence of physical touch sensations on the smooth screen.
Haptic, from a Greek word meaning touch, has been a keyword among mobile phone designers. LG Electronics was far ahead of Samsung in introducing the technology to phones. The company has sold a number of touch-vibrating phones such as Prada and Viewty.
To catch up with LG, Samsung has launched a massive advertisement and promotion campaigns for its SCH-W420 series phones. The company is trying to differentiate its phone from LG's by saying it is a third-generation device.
``The first generation was ordinary mobile phones, and the second generation was touch-screen phones. The Haptic Phone is a third-generation phone that stimulates users' sensations,'' said Jang Dong-hoon, vice president of Samsung, in a press release. ``We will continue to show premium handsets that have innovative user interface.''
Both Samsung's Haptic Phone and LG's Viewty Phone have similar functions. They gently vibrate in various patterns depending on users' commands. For example, the Samsung handset gives a click sensation when the user raises the volume of the speaker, as if it is a mechanical dial.