Like Apple's iPhone, Samsung said its Ultra Smart F700 will have touch-screen capabilities and play audio and video files. The 2.78-in. display will support resolution of 440 by 240 pixels, the company said in a statement yesterday. Also like the iPhone, Samsung's device will be small -- roughly 4 in. long by 2 in. wide and about 0.66 in. thick.

However, unlike the iPhone, Samsung said its device will also have a pull-down QWERTY keyboard and support for 3G, specifically HSDPA, which has speeds theoretically as high as 7.2Mbit/sec. The iPhone has no 3G support but, rather, supports only slower so-called 2.5G technology such as EDGE.

Samsung's Ultra Smart F700 Samsung's Ultra Smart F700

In addition, the Ultra Smart F700 will sport a 5-megapixel camera, a microSD slot for additional storage and Bluetooth support, according to Samsung. However, it will not have Wi-Fi support, a shortcoming it will share with the iPhone.

"The introduction of our Ultra Smart F700 reflects the needs of today's consumers by including features such as touch screen, enhanced connectivity to mobile Internet and access to an array of multimedia content," said Geesung Choi, president of Samsung's telecommunications network business. "The Ultra Smart F700 is a good example of how the mobile phone will evolve in the future."