Vikas Bajaj

August 18, 2003

Aug. 18--Samsung Electronics is expected to announce Monday that it has started selling a mobile phone through AT&T Wireless Services Inc., the last major U.S. cellular company not already carrying the Korean company's devices.

The deal caps a five-year effort by Samsung to entrench itself in every major wireless company's phone line-up. During that period, the phone maker has leapt ahead of numerous rivals to become the world's third-biggest manufacturer, after Nokia Oyj and Motorola Inc.

AT&T Wireless, the nation's third-largest wireless-phone company, will sell the Samsung V206, which has a built-in camera and a color screen.

"In the U.S., we are now working with all the major carriers that we wanted to," said Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president of Samsung's wireless terminals division, which is based in Richardson. "I am probably more thrilled about this because we have an opportunity to bring some value to AT&T."

For AT&T Wireless, Samsung will help diversify its phone line-up with its stable of "flip" phones that fold over to cover the keys. Most of the devices AT&T Wireless currently sells don't fold.

"You want to have as much variety as possible," said Ritch Blasi, an AT&T Wireless spokesman.

Mr. Skarzynski said Samsung's main goal now would be to increase the number of products it sells through Cingular Wireless LLC and AT&T Wireless, both of which were among the last of the cellular companies to carry its products.

"We are really just scratching the surface in the U.S.," he said.

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