BenQ-Siemens finally has a GPS handset on sale in Europe – the SXG75. They were beaten to market with 3G phones by virtually every major manufacturer. The new phone is the first phone from a major manufacturer to feature the Linux platform.

Being the smallest and lightest GPS handset, the Linux-powered BenQ-Siemens’ SXG75 presents a perfectly legible user interface on its 2.2-inch screen housed in a candybar form factor at 112 x 53 x 20 mm and 134 g.

The SXG75 is available in black or metallic white and the handset’s exterior is rather cluttered, graced as it is by a myriad of buttons which provide one-press access to the Media Player and Navigation applications.

Complete with 3G connectivity and a 2 Megapixel camera that you can use to make video calls as well as for taking pictures, the SXG75 is a well-rounded alternative for consumers looking for GPS but not willing to compromise on other features.

Because of it’s small size, the numerical keypad is hardly ideal for inputting addresses, however, rendering the ability to store favourites even more handy than usual.

The handset features a FM radio receiver with RDS service and MP3 player, a fully-fledged organizer with Bluetooth for wireless data exchange. The handset also comes with an e-mail client, Multimedia Messaging (MMS) and a fast XHTML web browser, Instant Messaging and Push and Talk.

With the integrated GPS module and mobile offboard navigation solutions from Siemens VDO Automotive, the SXG75 always steers the users in the right direction. Aided by AGPS support,if GPS navigation is interrupted or lost, A-GPS provides the positioning data to continue the navigation.

Like most of the GPS supported handsets, the SXG75 also supports location-based services such as restaurant tips, special offers or major tourist sights.

It has 64MB of internal memory which you can supplement with RS-MMC cards. It offers 6 hours of talk time or 400 hours of standby.

For specifications of SXG75, please refer to DealTime.com

At first sight, the BenQ-Siemens SL91 reveals only one thing: its flawless beautiful design. The shiny, deep black surface of the mobile phone and the design shell is evocative of impeccably cut glass. Only when touched does the extravagant slider reveal its functionality. Sure enough, it’s one of the leaders in it’s class and it shows just how much progress the BenQ-Siemens partnership has made.

The dimensions of the slider is 89 x 47 x 23 mm and it weighs at 109 g. It is a tri-band GSM phone and it supports 3G in the UMTS network. The VGA camera on its front side can be used for video calls, while the 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, which is situated on the back side can be used for taking pictures or for shooting video. The great image is ensured by a QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) display with outstanding characteristics, capable of showing 16.7 million colors. The internal memory of 64 MB can be extended by microSD memory card.

The main features that interest us would be the FM radio, which supports RDS, the MP3 player and the video player. Available are, of course, a big phonebook and an organizer with PC Sync options. Connection with a computer can be established either using a USB cable or via Bluetooth. The phone will be delivered together with new headphones with volume control on the cable.

If you are interested to read a comparison among the latest mobile phones from BenQ-Siemens, then head over to Cnet.co.uk. Read a detailed review and comparison on BenQ-Siemens E71, E81 and SL91.