">
Showing all 2 results
-
BenQ P31 Unreleased Prototype: Nokia 6708’s Hidden Twin
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: X (Mystical Prototype)
⭐ WOW Factor: The BenQ P31 is the original device behind the Nokia 6708
It is one of the only non-Nokia smartphones ever sold with Nokia branding.
👁 Evaluation in my collection: Great – 9.5/10
⏱ Life timer: N/A | 📦 Boxed: NO
📅 Release Year: 2004 | 💰 Release Price: N/A
📊 Units Sold: 0
📰 Why this phone matters: This unit is an ultra-rare BenQ P31 engineering prototype, representing one of the most historically significant missing links in Symbian UIQ development. Originally conceived around 2003-2004 as BenQ’s entry into the high-end touchscreen smartphone market, the P31 was built on Symbian OS 7 with UIQ 2.1 and designed as a compact, stylus-driven business device. It never reached commercial release, and only a very small number of early engineering samples were ever produced.This unit stands out immediately. It carries no BenQ branding, no label, no IMEI sticker, and no certification markings whatsoever, confirming it as a direct engineering lab device belonging to the EVT or very early DVT phase. Even more extraordinary, it boots with Nokia startup logos, revealing its role in one of the most unusual collaborations in Symbian history: the transformation of the BenQ P31 hardware platform into the commercial Nokia 6708.
During development, Nokia needed a UIQ device for Asian markets but did not want to engineer new UIQ hardware from scratch. Instead, Nokia evaluated the P31 as a potential base. This unit belongs to the narrow transitional window where Nokia UIQ firmware branches were loaded onto BenQ hardware to test compatibility, performance, and UIQ adaptation. Evidence of this includes Nokia boot screens, Nokia font structures, early Nokia overlays for PIM apps, and firmware variant directories corresponding to internal Nokia identifiers such as E582 or UIQ test builds. This type of cross-firmware contamination is almost never seen outside internal Symbian development environments.
Hardware examination indicates the original P31 layout: touchscreen with stylus input, UIQ key structure, OMAP-based platform, VGA camera module, and early UIQ 2.1 software stack. The matte prototype plastics, generic shielding, unbranded flex cables, and absence of final molding marks clearly separate it from the later Nokia 6708 retail hardware. Meanwhile, the Nokia firmware elements confirm the device was active during the validation period before Nokia redesigned the shell, finalized the PCB revisions, and prepared the 6708 for market release.
Historically, the BenQ P31 is known from documents, press mentions, and UIQ SDK references but extremely few physical units survive. Most were destroyed when BenQ cancelled its Symbian efforts and shifted to Windows Mobile and Siemens acquisition projects. Estimates based on engineering validation patterns suggest fewer than 40 to 80 EVT devices were made, with only a fraction entering Nokia testing flows. Units that display Nokia boot elements but retain full P31 prototype hardware are believed to number in the low single digits, making this unit one of the rarest Symbian UIQ artifacts in private hands.
Beyond rarity, this unit captures an entire unspoken chapter of smartphone evolution. It demonstrates how early OEM partnerships shaped device portfolios, how Symbian UIQ was adapted beyond Sony Ericsson hardware, and how Nokia explored touchscreen ecosystems prior to its Series 90 and later platforms. The P31 shows that Nokia was more deeply involved in UIQ experimentation than publicly acknowledged, using BenQ hardware as a bridge to enter UIQ markets quickly. It also highlights the technical flexibility of Symbian OS 7 and UIQ 2.1, which could be made to run on foreign hardware architectures with relatively limited porting.
For collectors, this unit sits at the highest echelon of prototype rarity. It is a never-released engineering platform, positioned between two manufacturers, with firmware that exposes internal development layers normally hidden inside corporate labs. It is a device that not only predates the Nokia 6708, but directly influenced its existence. As a result, this BenQ P31 prototype is not just a smartphone; it is a critical historical artifact documenting the intersection of BenQ’s abandoned Symbian ambitions and Nokia’s strategic adaptation of UIQ technology.
This unit, with its untouched prototype housing, label-free chassis, stylus support, UIQ interface, and Nokia boot sequences, stands as one of the finest surviving examples of transitional Symbian engineering hardware. It is a cornerstone piece for any top-tier collection focused on prototypes, UIQ development, or cross-manufacturer Symbian evolution.
📝 Reviews when released: N/A 💔
-
Benq Z2: Compact music phone
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: A (Rare)
⭐ WOW Factor: Designed as a music player and mini-game console first, and only secondly as a phone
👁 Evaluation in my collection: New – 10/10
⏱ Life timer: 0 | 📦 Boxed: NO
📅 Release Year: 2005 | 💰 Release Price: N/A
📊 Units Sold: ~250k
📰 Why this phone matters: BenQ-Siemens Z2 – Ultra-Rare Square Music Phone (Made in Taiwan) – New, No BoxThe BenQ-Siemens Z2 is one of the most unconventional and hard-to-find mobile phones ever produced by the brand. Released in very limited quantities around 2005, it features a distinctive square body, a side-mounted alphanumeric keypad, and a design language inspired more by early MP3 players and mini handheld consoles than by traditional phones.
Manufactured in Taiwan and introduced during the transition period just before the full BenQ-Siemens merger branding shift, the Z2 stands apart as a niche, short-lived model that never saw broad distribution. Today it is considered one of the rarest commercial BenQ / BenQ-Siemens devices.
This unit is new, showing no signs of prior use, but comes without its original box.
📝 Reviews when released: Engadget.com 🔗