March 10, 2006 The automotive industry began producing concept cars so it could weigh public opinion of its design ideas and it has taken just three quarters of a century for other industries to follow suit. The prestigious iF (International Forum) Design Awards for excellence and innovation were announced this week and if you’re into exquisite design, you could spend a month looking through the wonderous array of spectacularly elegant function there. Amongst the winners though, were three concept phones – one from BenQ and two from Pantech. Now one concept phone does not a sustainable trend make, but three gives it a bit of credence. Let’s hope so. All three are beautiful and ever so clever in their design.

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The iF (International Forum) Design Award is among the most important design competitions worldwide, attracting over 1,800 entries from 30 different countries every year. The award has been given since 1954 and is one of the most prestigious design awards along with the IDEA Award (Industrial Design Excellence Award) in the U.S. The iF jury, composed of top international designers, not only critically examines and selects the award-winning entries, but also guarantees the iF's special status. The iF is awarded on 10 different categories of criteria such as practicality, stability, durability, ergonomics, creativity and harmony with nature. As a result, the recipients of the award prove their levels of excellence in product design and competitiveness.

BenQ Ulysses B1

The BenQ Ulysses B1 is targeted at fashion-minded mobile phone users who demand a multifunctional mobile phone. The design concept imitates the small size and easy portability of a pocket notebook. The Ulysses B1 is lightweight and smaller than traditional 3G mobile phones. Its sleek lines conceal all the major function areas, and its front and back covers radiate a mood of continuity and simplicity. The Ulysses B1 is a 3G mobile phone with extra-large screen for excellent visual communication. The phone’s horizontal display lets you take pictures just like a digital camera. Not only does the aluminum metallic back cover increase the decorative value of the phone, it can also be used as a prepping mirror for self-portraits.

Pantech WIDE CUBE

The WIDE CUBE concept phone is designed to give consumers a more user friendly mobile experience, while showcasing more innovative functionality. WIDE CUBE is an advanced, high-tech mobile phone that has been integrated with multimedia devices such as DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting), MP3 and games. WIDE CUBE was designed to provide greater ease-of-use in innovative functions. The overall design purpose of WIDE CUBE is to emphasize sophistication and luxury. A 2-megapixel camera is located in front and a sub-LCD in back, allowing the user to take pictures like an actual camera without flipping open the phone. Above all, users can twist the main display up to 90 degrees, so when the main screen is positioned laterally, the two hidden speakers, DMB, MOD, and game buttons are revealed to optimize multimedia functionality. Thanks to a spinning jog dial, users can retrieve files and information quickly and efficiently.

Pantech Transformer

The Transformer 01 is an innovative mobile phone that combines numerous multimedia functions with clarity of layout and ease of use. The Transformer has a large, portrait-format touch screen for fast and comfortable dialing and usage that can be rotated to landscape format for TV and games. The phone also has folding legs that pop out to support the phone for hands-free viewing, stereo speakers and a digital camera.

Of course, with the convergent industry moving at warp speed in the telephone area, many of these features are becoming standard but good design never goes out of date.