BenQ T80 has appeared some time ago at this year's Computex edition. The phone has been packed with some impressive features that few other smartphones out there are capable of providing.

NXP Semiconductors, an independent company founded by Philips has brought its secure smart card and Near Field Communication (NFC) chip solutions for the BenQ T80 handset. This is the first commercially available NFC mobile from BenQ, but will be soon followed by the introduction of these features in an entire line of such phones that will be released in the future.

BenQ T80 runs on Windows Mobile, which shows that under the mild-looking case there is a powerful phone. This slider can be used for applications such as electronic ticketing and payment for passengers of the Taipei transportation system. Moreover, it will include electronic wallet services and access control for private security systems.

"The initial response to the news about our upcoming NFC phones - from both mobile phone users and service providers in Taiwan - has been extremely promising. NXP has been a critical partner, as we work toward a seamless rollout of our first NFC phones, starting with the BenQ T80", said Barry Dai, manager of product business management team, BenQ Corporation.

"The commercial debut of the BenQ T80 phone will be a significant milestone, as BenQ joins other leading handset makers in supporting NFC. In working closely with BenQ, we've been happy to see the versatility and innovative architecture of its new NFC-enabled handset", said Steffen Steinmeier, global business development manager for NFC, NXP Semiconductors.

BenQ T80 has been previously announced back in spring at The Computex 2007 event for a release in the second quarter of this year. Things have changed, now that the device has been upgraded and will be out on the market sometime until the end of the year.