Ambitious South Korean handset maker Pantech is set to launch a high-spec “phablet” device next month, taking on rivals such as Samsung, Huawei and ZTE in this space.

In a Korean-language press release, the Vega NO6 was described as “the first 6-inch full HD LTE smartphone”. It includes a 13 megapixel rear camera, comes with a high-capacity battery, and is powered by Android 4.1.

While Huawei’s Ascend Mate features a similar sized display and trumpets HD credentials, it is 720p rather than the 1080p of the Pantech device.

According to Korea IT Times, the device is to be sold for KRW849,000 ($784) through all three of the country’s operators – coming in below the KRW1 million smartphone average.

No details were announced regarding an international release.

While Pantech is less well-known than its South Korean rivals Samsung and LG Electronics, it has been gaining momentum in recent years.

When it launched its Vega R3 device in September last year, it described itself as “Korea’s number 2 smartphone manufacturer”.

In addition to its work in its home market, it also offers devices in Japan, and has supplied multiple devices to AT&T and Verizon Wireless in the US.

Unlike some new entrants to the smartphone space, the company has also offered high-spec smartphones, claiming the “world’s first” with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor – the million selling Vega Racer – and LTE devices.