Helio on Friday took the unusual step of launching the Samsung Mysto first for Korean-language users of its US-based service, taking advantage of the company's roots in Korea's SK Telecom. Believed to have its roots in the U600, the thin slider shares the features of Helio's more recent phones, including its 2-megapixel camera, true GPS with a Buddy Beacon feature to locate Helio-using friends, and a heavy emphasis on its 3G Internet access. Users can both stream videos and upload them through YouTube, though the device is not believed to run the same YouTube app as the Pantech-made Ocean.

The Samsung phone is shipping as of today for $149 on a two-year contract with Korean as its default language. A small number of English-language Mysto models will be available on December 26th in official New York City and Santa Monica stores while broader availability of the English models will come by the second half of January.