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Pantech preps 1080p smartphone for CES, rumors say

Not to be outdone by larger handset makers, Pantech could unveil a true HD smartphone at CES 2013.

Scott Webster
Scott Webster has spent the better part of his adult life playing with cell phones and gadgets. When not looking for the latest Android news and rumors, he relaxes with his wife and son. Scott also is the senior editor for AndroidGuys. E-mail Scott.
Scott Webster
2 min read
This year at CES, Pantech could launch something more exciting than this budget Burst. CBS Interactive

Competing with HTC's Droid DNA, Pantech could introduce a 5-inch 1080p HD smartphone at CES 2013 in January, according to a rumor that surfaced today.

Details of an unannounced Pantech handset called the Vega IM-A860 for now have spilled online, apparently via a Wi-Fi Alliance certificate. The document suggests that the Vega will carry a 1,920x1,080-pixel full HD screen, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with an Adreno 320 GPU, and support for 4G LTE.

CNET reached out to Pantech, however, the handset maker declined to comment for this story.

If history is an indicator, Pantech could unveil this new smartphone at CES in January. Last year, the South Korean company introduced the low-cost Burst for AT&T. Either Verizon or AT&T could be the carrier of choice for the Vega IM-A860 due to Pantech's relationship with both; however, I'm leaning a bit in Ma Bell's direction.

Since there are no other hardware or software specs to glean from the leaked Wi-Fi certificate, the truth or falsehood of this phone's actual existence becomes a waiting game.

Wi-Fi Certificate for Pantech smartphone.
The Wi-Fi certificate supposedly outing the Pantech Vega. Click to enlarge.

Based on Pantech's track record, I would look for something in the vicinity of other top Android handsets, but less expensive. Should that be the case, we might anticipate 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, and an 8-megapixel camera.

In terms of Android, Pantech will need to launch the phone with Jelly Bean if it hopes to chip away at the bigger players.