BenQ Royal Wins iF Product Design Award 2009

One of the yet unannounced smartphones that have already started to make their way out of the crowd is a BenQ handset called Royal. The new mobile phone showcased by the Taiwanese company is reported to have won the iF Product Design Award 2009.

BenQ’s handsets haven't made headlines too much lately, yet it seems that the company continues its work and innovation in the area. The new smartphone to win the aforementioned design award comes to display in a candybar form factor, and looks rather attractive, we might say.

According to the maker, the new Royal smartphone includes powerful functions such as a personalized interface, as well as Internet live messenger, both developed so as to offer users ease of communication and mobility. At the same time, says the manufacturer, “the design concept comes from bookmark and page-turning, to remind users of their experiences in reading.”

The candybar smartphone comes with an LCD screen, while also including a touch-sensitive area, which BenQ says is located “behind the main screen.” When users touch said area, the page-turning image appears on the device's screen, allowing for images, music files or e-books to be easily viewed.

The new smartphone also includes on the back a 3.2-megapixel photo snapper with auto-focus. At the same time, says the company, the back cover has a lighter design, “and the customized lines stand for the meaning of digital business and e-commerce.”

For the time being, the company hasn't unveiled any details on what the new Royal smartphone would actually include, like screen resolution, connectivity options or functionality. BenQ hasn't said anything about the possible availability of the new handset either, and it is rather uncertain if the device will actually come to the market after all. Hopefully more info will be available in the near future.