Motorola keeps StarTAC alive in Korea with new model

Motorola today launched the StarTAC III for Korea, where the classic design has remained popular. A nod to both the 1996 flip-phone and the company's current design cues, the III preserves the short but wide stance of the original while modernizing the features. A larger, 2-inch 240x320 color screen makes the 2007 phone useful for Internet browsing as well as built-in GPS functions and eBooks. Also new is a three-color LED light on the outside that changes depending on the type of incoming call. MP3 playback is similarly new to the iconic brand.

The revived StarTAC is also a world phone, according to Motorola: besides support for roaming on cell networks outside of its current Korean home, the new clamshell also has a built-in English dictionary. Both help raise the possibility that the phone may see a release outside of the Asian country, where it sells today for $316 without the need for a contract.