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Heisse: Having taken over Siemens’ mobile phone division, the BenQ group’s mobile phone business in Germany is now facing imminent collapse. BenQ Mobile GmbH would in all likelihood in the next few days file for bankruptcy, a spokesman of the company said in Munich today. The move will affect the headquarters in Munich and the production locations Bocholt and Kamp-Lintfort, where about 3000 people are employed.

In a press release by the parent company it says that the company had “resolved to discontinue capital injection” into BenQ Mobile GmbH & Co OHG. The revenue and margin development during the important Christmas season would definitely fail to meet expectations, the company has declared.

Update: The bankruptcy of Siemens’ erstwhile cell phone division with its 3000 employees is now official. BenQ Mobile had filed for bankruptcy protection, a spokesperson of the Municipal Court in Munich stated today. The daughter company of the Taiwanese BenQ group is thus facing imminent collapse.

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Nothing to see on the BenQ Siemens website. However, Gizmodo is bringing the news about the Oxyon, a slider phone that looks like a clone of the Apple iPhone (which – mind you – doesn’t exist yet).
Gizmodo: Not content to let LG and their Chocolate phone hog the title of world’s sexiest phone, BenQ-Siemens has been quietly working on a prototype of a new device to wow the world. The fruit of their efforts? This Oxyon phone with a white, iPod-like finish and a slide out dial pad. Wow indeed.
Ignoring potential usability issues with a vertical dial pad, the phone’s features seem pretty top notch. It’s got a VGA display, 3-megapixel camera, MP3/AAC/WMA/WAV playback and a microSD slot for expandability. It won’t be released until sometime in 2007.

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Heise: The Taiwanese group BenQ wants to sell its mobile phone manufacturing division that goes by the name of Mobile, a report in the upcoming edition of the German manager magazin will claim. Despite the change of ownership sales of what used to be Siemens mobile phones were not making the kind of progress the company had hoped, the report by the magazine goes on to say. Hence BenQ’s CEO Kuen-Yao Leedie was aiming to sell the company’s mobile phone manufacturing division to an outsourcing specialist. (…)

BenQ took over Siemens’ mobile phone division in October 2005. Back in August the word still was that BenQ was not expecting to make a profit until next year. A short time ago the company had moreover announced that it would not be present at next year’s CeBIT event with a stand of its own.

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Phones that aim more at fashionistas rather than technology lovers, it’s getting quite common. Donatella Versace added style to the Nokia 7270. The Siemens SL65 had Escada. LG teamed up with Roberto Cavalli, etc.

Now, Samsung has launched its X820 for the Dutch market. As for now, it’s only available in an exclusive Oger-version. The tailor-made suit brand designed a crocodile cover with suede lining. Prices start at 359 euro. Tiny little detail: it’s the thinnest mobile available in Holland (0,69cm). Plus, it’s got a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a music player.

(source: Bright.nl)

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