14 DAY TRIAL // Benq is preparing a new clamshell mobile phone for launch, a model dubbed 'SF71' that comes with 3G capabilities and a rather stylish design. Compared to the slim handsets that Samsung and others have been releasing lately, the Benq Siemens SF 71 is rather thick, at 19mm. But it seems to be a nice and compact clamshell, resembling what Siemens used to release when it was still producing phones.
The sliding design of the external LCD screen is quite interesting, with the camera module hidden underneath it. If the user slides the screen down, the camera module will be revealed. The phone also features dedicated music controls, positioned right below the secondary screen.
While not excelling from the point of view of the features either, it does include a set of features that will suit the needs of the less pretentious users. The SF71 packs a 2-inch 256k color screen with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution, 2-megapixel camera with flash, as well as a VGA camera for video calling and Bluetooth for connectivity with A2DP profile.
While it's not mentioned anywhere so far, you can pretty much count on it to offer a media player and most likely a memory card slot. It doesn't make sense for Benq to equip a phone with dedicated music controls and not include the regular multimedia capabilities.
Since Benq has previously announced that it will be giving up 'Siemens' from their name, this might just be the last Benq-Siemens-branded mobile phone that customers will get to see released on the market. The tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 and UMTS mobile phone is expected to start shipping in June, with an official announcement coming from Benq during May. Also, from the features it sports, its price shouldn't be very high.