For anyone studying brand marketing, Pantech Wireless is a pretty good example of how to turn an ODM/OEM manufacturer into a stand-alone global brand. Handsets from them are still pretty thin on the ground here in the UK, but the majority of North American carriers and MVNOs have at least one Pantech model in their range. Perhaps core to their design ethos is bringing advanced features from the Korean cellphone market - whether those be in terms of 3G and data capabilities or extreme size reductions - and packaging them in affordable formats.

SlashPhone's own Vincent Nguyen is meeting with Pantech at CTIA Wireless, so here's a run-down of some of the new cellphones he'll be bringing us hands-on reports of...

Pantech C3b, C150

The Pantech C3b is the latest incarnation of their highly successful "world's smallest camera flip phone" series, this time with Bluetooth and interchangable face-plates in addition to the VGA camera with flash, SMS/MMS/IM client and email services. 

Another clamshell, the C510 although larger than the C3b is no less eye-catching thanks to the bright green metal casing.  Those extra milimetres have allowed Pantech to fit a 1.3-megapixel camera that supports video recording, although they're positioning it mainly as a music-centric handset.  MicroSD memory expansion means there's plenty of space for mp3, AAC, WMA and MPEG-4 files, which can be played back wirelessly thanks to Stereo Bluetooth A2DP support.  External audio controls should make controlling the C510 in a pocket or bag relatively straightforward.

If size is more your concern then the C150 might suit you best; at 11.9mm thick it's the slimmest of Pantech's new range, and arguably the sleekest in design.  Available in black and white, it too supports Stereo Bluetooth audio, although it's not clear what additional storage - to supplement the onboard 12MB - is available to best make use of its mp3 download capabilities.

Pantech C600, C510

Pantech are also launching two new 3G phones, the C600 and C710.  Both use Flash for their UI and have Stereo Bluetooth, while the C710 also adds onboard stereo speakers and support for Push-to-Talk.  Yahoo!'s Mobile Experience client makes internet access straightforward and - thanks to the speedy data connection - you shouldn't need too much patience to enjoy music downloads, mobile email and messaging and, in the case of the C710, video sharing.

Vincent will be bringing us hands-on reports of each of these new models, together with a number of additional handsets which so far have only been available outside of the US.  Keep checking SlashPhone for further coverage of CTIA Wireless 2007!