BenQ, a Taiwanese handset maker has announced plans to release a smart phone based on Symbian's OS in the third quarter of this year. The move will make it the first Taiwanese handset maker to produce a phone based on Symbian OS that will be sold under its own brand.

The company says the smart phone will incorporate a user interface developed by Symbian subsidiary UIQ Technology, which designed the interface for Sony Ericsson's P800 smart phone. The smart phone will be the first Symbian-based product released by BenQ following the licensing agreement for the Symbian OS it signed with Symbian earlier this year.

While few details of BenQ's smart phone have been made public, the company has said the phone will be intended for 2.5G networks and hinted at the inclusion of a touch-sensitive color LCD screen. The phone will also include a built-in digital camera, a mini USB port and support for Bluetooth.