Mobile handset manufacturer Pantech Wireless held a sweepstakes giving away one smartphone a day for nine weeks and a grand prize of $25,000.

The sweepstakes was run over popular social network Twitter, where contestants were asked humorous questions and asked to answer via the microblogging network or email. Nate Holt of Lowell, IN won the "Tweetstakes" contest held by Pantech Wireless and went home with the $25,000 grand prize.

"In an effort to communicate with our customers in fun and consistently relevant ways, we decided to use popular social mediums like Twitter, Facebook, a designated Web site and mobile blogs to promote our smartphone, the Pantech Matrix Pro," said Adrienne Stimpson, marketing manager at Pantech Wireless, Atlanta.

"We were excited about the contest and wanted to make sure it was enjoyable for everyone to participate in," she said.

Pantech Wireless Inc is a subsidiary of Pantech & Curitel and Pantech Co. that researches, markets and developes wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America.

The Matrix Pro smartphone from Pantech Wireless runs on Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating under AT&T's wireless coverage.

The phone's differentiating quality comes in its ability to slide either horizontally or vertically according to the action being taken on the phone.

The winner of the Pantech Wireless Tweetstakes, Nate Holt, claims that he was shocked to win and plans to make upgrades to his family's home with the prize money.

"We are very impressed with the outcome," Ms. Stimpson said. "The daily questions were candid and fun, and as a result, participation grew rapidly."

Every day over a nine week period, Pantech posed funny questions to contestants via Twitter, and also on Pantech's Matrix Pro Web site.

Entrants were given the option to respond via Twitter or email.

"Mobile is, hands-down, one of the most exciting and dynamic industries on the planet," Ms. Stimpson said.

"As we're already seeing, social media lives on handsets and entertainment content is used and managed with ease," she said. "Apps are very cool, and so are many of the business uses of smartphones."

Smartphone giveaways seem to be an up-and-coming trend.

In June 2009, the Weather Channel launched a BlackBerry a Day giveaway (see story). Following suit, Slacker mobile radio also ran a BlackBerry giveaway promotion in early August (see story).

"We think that convergence will continue and, much like a laptop, smartphones will be the primary place we turn for all elements of our digital life," Ms. Stimpson said.

"Although the majority of cell phone users are still using feature phones, smartphones adoption is rising quickly and we expect it to continue," she said.