It’s kinda good for consumers when companies are struggling and they have to innovate even more. Not that BenQ’s latest E72 smartphone brings much innovations to the world of Windows Mobile powered devices, it’s just that it looks like a fashion phone, yet packs all the cool features of a smartphone.

The BenQ E72 is a GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz device that runs on top of Windows Mobile 6 and also packs 2″ screen, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth and WiFi wireless connectivity, and of course the standard microSD memory expansion slot. As for the preinstalled software, there’s some kind of universal IM client that works with all major IM networks (AOL, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ and Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Talk), RSS reader, and other standard software which comes with Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)’s mobile OS.

All in all, the device looks slick, has tons of features and is even more expandable with any of the numerous 3rd party apps. Too bad only selected countries in the Asia Pacific and European regions will be able to try it out this Q4…

[Via: uberphones]

Who wants another candybar? Well, BenQ’s got your sweet tooth in mind. They’ve taken the wraps off their BenQ C30 candybar musicphone today. The keypad and d-pad layout are your standard candybar fare, but the BenQ C30 sports some dedicated music controls along the upper edge of the device.

It’s not the most feature-packed media-centric phone to hit the market, but the BenQ C30 is definitely an interesting contender in the lower-end market. We’re talking GSM radio, 0.3 megapixel camera, built-in FM radio, microSD, MP3/AAC/WAV playback, and 1.8 inch display, and those dedicated music controls.

Pricing or availability information isn’t known yet.

Source

Take a look at this sneak peak of a mobile internet device from BenQ. The guy in the vid is Uday Keshavdas, Intel consumer marketing manager.

The interface and touchscreen are reminiscent of something else that we’ve seen recently. We just can’t put our finger on it. Hmmm, what could it be?

[Via: Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]

I’m not sure why we haven’t seen this coming before, but the Taiwan-based BenQ is set to bring the new kind of a design in the world of Windows Mobile smartphones. As you can see for yourself, the T80’s glossy exterior makes the device look more like a fashion than a smart phone. We still lack the details here, but as far as we know users could expect the WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, microSD memory expansion slot, a camera, as well as Near Field Capability (NFC), the feature that doesn’t exist in many other phones. In addition, there’s also the e-wallet, which should help you take care of your money. We’ll keep reporting as the new details emerge. Stay tuned…

[Via: uberphones]

Remember how BenQ Mobile went down in flames after parent company BenQ pulled the cash-flow plug on the ailing BenQ-Siemens venture? Sure you do. Well, it looks like they’ve re-emerged as BenQ with its parent company renaming itself as Qisda.

The new BenQ is expecting annual sales growth of 25-30% and will be concentrating mainly on manufacturing LCD monitors and projectors globally – with a small handset business that will concentrate on regional markets that warrant handset, notebook, digital camera, and TV manufacturing.

Good luck BenQ! And welcome back!

[Via: DigiTimes]

It’s a pretty bold move to take legal action against that which gave life to you. In a move that amounts to a temper tantrum from a spoiled child, belly-up BenQ Mobile is suing once-parent BenQ for $36 million. The money is said to have been approved by BenQ to pay executive bonuses, just before BenQ just pulled the cash-plug.

This is the third lawsuit filed by BenQ Mobile against BenQ since July, all relating to BenQ Mobile’s demand for more cash. Apparently, when a parent cuts off a troubled child, they still have legal recourse to get more money. Maybe BenQ Mobile should have actually worked to pay its bills. And, maybe it shouldn’t have squandered all their money paying their top-level execs.

In the end, BenQ Mobile is bankrupt, so making good on their accounts payable seems like a “good faith” move – which we completely agree with. However, suing to get funds to pay executive bonuses seems a bit silly. The company went belly-up, that’s certainly nothing to reward management for. Maybe they’re “successfully bankrupting a company”-bonuses. Or, wait, they must be “insider trading and money laundering“-bonuses. Yea, that’s the ticket!

[Via: PCWorld]

The BenqQ Siemens SL98 is not a typical slider. It is a candybar phone with a screen that sits inside the body. I’m not saying I don’t like it, I just have to play with it before passing final judgment.

How robust is this in the long term? How well can the screen hold up to flex?

[Via: The Unwired View]

Remember that beautifully slick clamshell from BenQ? It was basically the BenQ’s last push for industry legacy as the company’s finances were circling the drain. Still, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this sleek new handset – and now we have some shots of this puppy in the flesh! The chrome accents and sliding bezel are really something else, even if the interior toots a somewhat lackluster and RAZR-esque tune.

We just love the external display and that sliding bezel that reveals music controls on one side and a camera on the other. Poor BenQ, you did good on this one!

Pics on the link!

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The new BenQ Siemens SF71 phone could be the final act for the partnership between the two mobile device design houses. The beautiful new clamshell will be announced in Taiwan and will rock a 2megapixel shooter with dual flash, 3G, 2 inch QVGA screen, A2Dp Bluetooth, and a video conference camera. And, as BenQ Siemens’ swan song, the SF71 sports a cool sliding mechanism on the external face that protects the camera when not in use. Thanks for the memories BenQ Siemens! Sleek and stylin’ pics – read on.

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Taiwan-based BenQ has recently shows us that it can too think all-touchscreen. Their concept device boasts a large touchscreen that is used for both display and input purposes. Next, similarly to the iPhone, this concept can be used in both portrait and landscape mode, with latter being reserved for video playback and similar functions.

But, unlike the iPhone this device has a movable pad, that is used for changing the control method – bringing the pad to the middle converts the interface into a traditional phone design, while sliding it back creates an extra space for video and music playback.

The bad thing – this is still a concept. I wouldn’t mind being among the first one to test it. (via: TheLatestGadgets)