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.

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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. ®