SEOUL, 9 September 2003 - Hoping to expand its market share among the world’s 1.1 billion Muslims, South Korea’s LG Electronics yesterday unveiled a new mobile phone that includes an electronic compass to show the direction of Makkah. Equipped with location tracking software, the phone’s wide screen can be used as a normal compass but is especially intended for Muslims who pray five times a day facing Makkah, the holiest city, said LG Electronics, South Korea’s second-largest mobile phone handset maker. Company spokesman Kim Byung-tak said the phone will be able to point toward Makkah even in remote places such as deserts. In addition to Arab countries in the Middle East, LG Electronics plans to expand its marketing to customers in Malaysia and Indonesia, which have large Muslim populations, Kim said. The phone is based on the Europe-backed general packet radio services (GPRS) technology, one of the 3G standards that allows users to access high-speed Internet. The retail price is about $250.