The third ranked handset maker in South Korea, after Samsung and LG, Pantech Curitel managed to win the Best New Phone Honour at CES 2008 for the good-looking SKY IM-U200 mobile phone. The prize may seem a surprise coming from such a "conservatory" company, which rarely strides for innovative designs for their mobile phone terminals.

Oh, well this time the South-Koreans have been helped by Fuseproject, an award-winning San Francisco-based industrial design and branding firm. The collaboration between the two companies has been more than fruitful, SKY IM-U200, also known as the "Shooting Star" exceeding all expectations and surpassing other brands such as Samsung and LG that took part in the contest. As you can see from the pictures the prize is more than well deserved, Fuseproject clearly transforming the phone into a masterpiece.

Sadly the phone is all about 'looks' and doesn't impress at all through its technical features. The 1.3 Megapixel camera embedded has already become a standard for low-or mid-level handsets, so you'll probably be left with little quality when taking snapshots. The 2.0 inch QVGA Color TFT LCD that supports 240 x 320 pixel resolution is really a good surprise and a wonderful asset, especially for those who like to play a lot. The phone also features Bluetooth connectivity and an MP3 player, but I'm not that sure about the sound quality.

The slider can be acquired from SK Telekom network operator and it has been priced at $550, which doesn't looks too nifty. I think the manufacturer makes up for all this low considered technical features and high price with its marvelous design. Oh yeah, it's all about design, exactly what most people with money are looking for:) I'm pretty sure that after receiving this prize its sales will skyrocket... at least 'till another one takes its place.