South Korea's largest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. said Monday that it will release a smartphone that can also serve as a set-top box, playing content on personal computers, tablet PCs and TVs.

   The smartphone named "Galaxy S hopping," made by Samsung Electronics Co., will hit shelves in the local market this week, SK Telecom said in a statement.

   The new phone represents the company's efforts to tap into the growing demand for the seamless exchange of content on different devices, including smartphones, personal computers, tablet PCs and TVs.

   Connecting the new smartphone to the TV will turn the phone into a set-top box, which allows streaming content saved on the phone to be displayed on larger TV screens, SK Telecom said. As they leave the living room, consumers can pick up the movie where they left off on smartphones or other devices, SK Telecom said.

   The mobile carrier, which accounts for about half of the country's wireless market, plans to offer some 3,500 movies, TV shows and music videos initially, and later expand the list to 10,000. One movie will be priced between 1,000 won and 3,500 won ($3.13).

   The Galaxy S hopping sports the same features as the Galaxy S, including the Android system and a 4-inch screen.

(Yonhap News)