BenQ Mobile has allied itself with the Hello Kitty franchise much loved by Western infants and Japanese of all ages and genders. This month, it will ship the AL26, a pink-hued slider phone splashed with HK decals, HK screen themes and a Chav-friendly HK phone charm.

The BenQ-Siemens AL26 sports a "large" 130 x 130, 65,536-colour main display and is aimed, BenQ said, at "young, fashion-conscious women".

According to the vendor, anyone who owns the phone will "be always a step ahead with the latest trends", which is ironic given Hello Kitty's been around for more than 30 years.

Check with local suppliers for pricing information, the company said. ®

Related stories

• Hello Kitty gets claws into UK electronics (21 May 2008)

  https://www.theregister.com/2008/05/21/hello_kitty_mobile_electronics/

• Germans begin probe into BenQ Mobile collapse (9 November 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/11/09/benq_faces_probe/

• Orange bleats about Samsung's Blush (2 November 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/11/02/hw_orange_samsung_blush/

• Siemens creates hardship fund for BenQ workers (2 October 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/10/02/pay_rises/

• BenQ says 'adieu' to its European mobile phone business (28 September 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/09/28/benq_ends_german_business/

• BenQ unwraps 22in widescreen display (11 September 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/09/11/benq_22in_widescreen/

• BenQ launches compact camera duo (8 September 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/09/08/c740_and_c540_benq_digital_cameras/

• BenQ aims to pull with 'mauve sensation' lady-phone (24 August 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/08/24/hw_benq_sl80_mauve/

• BenQ pursues painted ladies with butterfly-branded handset (23 August 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/08/23/hw_benq_butterfly_phone/

• Logitech launches wireless Skype phone (14 August 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/08/14/logitech_unveils_skype_phone/

• Sony Ericsson readies 3G media phone (10 August 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/08/10/sony_ericsson_readies_k618/

• BenQ preps Bluetooth stereo speakers (28 July 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/07/28/benq_bt_stereo_ims-100/

• BenQ Mobile shows shiny black handset trio (26 July 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/07/26/benq_e71_e81_sl91_launch/

• BenQ jogs out outdoor-folk phone (19 June 2006)

  https://www.theregister.com/2006/06/19/benq_siemens_unveils_m81/