Walt Disney announced recently at the CTIA conference the launch of a mobile phone service in the United States. The Disney phone service is targeted at kids, giving parents control over spending and use, and features GPS location tracking.

Korean company Pantech will be the first to provide the handset for the Disney mobile service. The Pantech DM-P100 has a color display, external caller ID, built-in camera with flash and speakerphone, and it is also capable of text and picture messaging plus voice-activated dialing.

George Grobar, senior vice president and general manager, Disney Mobile, said: "Disney Mobile was designed to be a mobile phone service kids and parents can agree on and working with Pantech on our launch handset is a big part of realizing this vision. The handset is attractive to all members of the family and its camera phone and other capabilities are important for kids. Working with Pantech, we were able to customize the handset and its UI to simplify and integrate our core family applications."

Sung Kyu Lee, president & CEO, Pantech Wireless, Inc., declared: "We have reached this agreement with Disney due to Pantech's capacity to produce ground-breaking handset designs and state-of-the art technologies for the U.S. market. We believe that the roll out of the DM-P100, along with our association with one of America's most beloved brands, will significantly help elevate the Pantech brand in the U.S".