LG, Samsung Lead In Mobile TV Phones In U.S.

South Korean handset makers LG Electronics and Samsung are the top mobile-phone brands in the United States for advanced entertainment features, while Nokia is at the bottom, a consumer electronics researcher said.

In a survey of 2,000 Internet users aged 13 and older, Parks Associates found that 12% reported having mobile TV features on LG phones, and 11% on Samsung handsets. Fully, 8% of the respondents had Motorola phones with advanced entertainment features, and no one had Nokia products with the same capabilities.

LG and Samsung have been successful in drawing from their experiences in the South Korean market and translating them into success in the U.S. market, Parks analyst Yuanzhe Cai said. South Korea leads the world in adoption of mobile entertainment features and services.

In addition, LG and Samsung have done a good job in balancing good designs and advanced features with reasonable costs, Cai said. Motorola, on the other hand, has been less successful.

Nokia, however, has done little to promote its advanced phones in the United States, according to Cai. For example, only 6% of the Finnish company's phones support the purchase of music online, compared with 22% and 20% for LG and Samsung, respectively.

"Nokia needs to introduce more advanced phone models if it is to succeed in the high-end and midrange markets," Cai said in a statement released Thursday. "The challenge is even more acute now that the Apple iPhone is stirring up competition in the premium handset market."

Launched at the end of last month, the iPhone, with its innovative touch-screen user interface, has increased consumer interest in the use of advanced cellular phones for accessing the Web, storing and watching video, and listening to music. As a result, experts believe rivals will have to push harder to develop their own innovative designs.

New data suggests that consumers are warming up to the idea of watching TV programming on the small screen of a mobile phone. Between 60% and 85% of people who have seen video on a handset have enjoyed the experience, according to Research and Markets.