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BenQ Corporation (/ˌbɛnˈkj/; Chinese: 明基電通股份有限公司) is a Taiwanese multinational company that sells and markets technology products, consumer electronics, computing and communications devices[2] under the "BenQ" brand name, which stands for the company slogan Bringing Enjoyment N Quality to life.[3] Its principal products include televisions, LCD monitors, projectors, interactive displays, speakers, lighting, peripherals, and mobile computing devices.

BenQ Corporation
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryElectronics
PredecessorAcer Communication & Multimedia[1]
Founded1984; 40 years ago (1984)
HeadquartersTaipei, Taiwan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
K.Y. Lee, Chairman;
Conway Lee, CEO and President
RevenueUS$25 billion
Total assetsUS$188 million
Number of employees
1,300+
ParentQisda Corporation
Websitewww.benq.com
BenQ
Traditional Chinese明基電通
Simplified Chinese明基电通
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinMíngjī Diàntōng
Qisda
Traditional Chinese佳世達科技
Simplified Chinese佳世达科技
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinJiāshìdá kējì
BenQ Joybook Lite U101 at Taipei IT Month
BenQ Joybook 8100

BenQ's head office is located in Taipei, and the company operates five branch offices in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, China, Latin America and North America, and employs over 1,600 individuals globally. The "BenQ" brand is present in more than 100 countries worldwide.

History

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BenQ was originally founded in 1984, then spun off from Acer in 2001 to provide a separate branded channel. In 2006 Acer disposed of its remaining shares in BenQ.[4]

BenQ's first mobile phone was the M775C, which was released in 2003. During Q1 2004, eight new phones were announced, ranging from bar and clamshell phones to Windows Mobile smartphones. A further seven phones, mainly clamshells, such as the BenQ S500,[5] came in 2005.

BenQ Siemens

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On 1 October 2005, BenQ Corp. acquired the mobile devices division of Germany's Siemens AG, becoming the sixth-largest company in the mobile phone industry by accumulated market share. The acquisition results in a new business group, BenQ Mobile, of BenQ Corporation entirely dedicated to wireless communications. Mobile phones of the new group are marketed under a new brand, BenQ-Siemens.[6]

In late September 2006, the mobile devices division of BenQ, BenQ Mobile (Germany), announced bankruptcy when BenQ Corp. discontinued its funding. As a result, BenQ Mobile was placed under the supervision of a state-appointed bankruptcy administrator. In February 2007, BenQ Mobile was finally disbanded as a suitable buyer could not be found. An estimated 2000 BenQ Mobile employees lost their jobs.[7] On 24 August 2006 BenQ announced plans to spin off its manufacturing operations in early 2007, separating contract manufacturing and own-brand divisions.[8]

After Siemens

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After BenQ-Siemens, BenQ continued to make phones, primarily aimed at the Asian market (although one was also released in Europe).

This is a list of BenQ phones during the post-BenQ-Siemens brands period between 2009 and 2012:

  • BenQ T33
  • BenQ T51
  • BenQ C30 (BenQ-Siemens C31)
  • BenQ E72 (Windows Mobile smartphone; also released in Europe) (not an E71 successor)
  • BenQ M7 (BenQ-Siemens M81 spirituality success's)
  • BenQ T60
  • BenQ E53
  • BenQ C36 (BenQ-Siemens C31 successor)
  • BenQ E55
  • BenQ MOMODESIGN MD300H (HSDPA) (This is a co-brands in exclusively project of gadgets for MOMODESIGN, the most rarest model of BenQ Mobile because the phone was made available in limited quantities volumes not over 5,000 units.)

After a hiatus, BenQ resumed production of smartphones under its own brand in 2013.[9]

Smartphones

Dell Venue Pro

Qisda Corporation, the parent company of BenQ, manufactured smartphones for Dell, which were marketed under the Venue Pro name, and which ran Windows Phone 7.[10] The phone was made available in limited quantities on 8 November 2010 with the launch of Windows Phone.[11] Delivery of the phone met severe setbacks, it was rife with numerous hardware issues,[12] and the device was discontinued as of 8 March 2012.[13]

Android

List of Android devices made by BenQ:

  • BenQ A3 — made for the Asian market, runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
  • BenQ T3
  • BenQ F5 RAM 2GB, runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat
EE (UK)

Starting in 2015 BenQ manufactured the Harrier and Harrier Mini Android Smartphones for the UK mobile telecoms provider EE.

Restructuring

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On 24 August 2006, BenQ announced plans to spin off its manufacturing operations in early 2007, separating contract manufacturing and own-brand divisions.[8]

In April 2007, considering that the branded business has achieved sufficient profit and scale to sustain and grow its operation independently, BenQ announced the plan to spin off its branded business. After the spin-off, BenQ Corporation was renamed Qisda Corporation, which will focus on integrated manufacturing service business, and the spun-off company has succeeded the name of BenQ Corporation, which is a 100% owned subsidiary of Qisda Corp.[14]

On 3 September 2007, the newly spun-off BenQ Corporation commenced its new operation to continue selling and marketing products under the BenQ brand name.[15]

Current day

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Today, the BenQ Group consists of over 20 companies of various sizes. These companies are involved in a wide range of sectors covering:

1. Key components

2. Technology and system integration

3. Solutions and services

Logos

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BenQ currently have a number of logos in use for B2B and B2C business.

Sub-brands

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ZOWIE Esports logo
 
ZOWIE Esports logo

ZOWIE esports gear

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ZOWIE was founded at the end of 2008. It is a brand dedicated to the development of professional esports equipment. At the time it debuted, there were only three employees and one product.[16]

On 10 December 2015, BenQ announced that ZOWIE GEAR would become their new esports gaming division.[17] Their newer products include mice, mouse pads, monitors, and other gaming accessories.BenQ ZOWIE esports monitors are used by around 63% of professional gamers.[18]

In September 2022, BenQ announced the launch of their XL2566K 360 Hz Monitor.[19]

On 10 June 2022, ZOWIE announced that they would be joining the professional esports league - VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA as the Official Display Partner for the 2022 season.[20]

In January 2023, BenQ announced the launch of ZOWIE EC-CW Wireless Mice Series.[21]

MOBIUZ gaming monitors

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MOBIUZ Gaming logo

In July 2020, BenQ announced the launch of its new MOBIUZ gaming monitor series.[22] MOBIUZ monitors introduce a new HDRi[23] adaptive technology that optimizes the HDR effect based on light conditions and built-in treVolo speakers and proprietary Eye-Care technology.[24]

In February 2023, BenQ announced the launch of its first OLED monitor, dubbed the MOBIUZ EX480UZ.[25]

 
MOBIUZ EX480UZ at GamesCom with Brandon Smith

Current Models:[26]

  • EX2510S
  • EX2710S
  • EX2710R
  • EX2710Q
  • EX270M
  • EX270QM
  • EX2710U
  • EX3210R
  • EX3210U
  • EX3410R
  • EX3415R
  • EX480UZ
  • EX321UX

In June 2024, BenQ announced the launch of its first Mini LED IPS monitor, dubbed the MOBIUZ EX31UX.[27] In September 2024, BenQ unveiled the 38-inch EX381U MOBIUZ Gaming monitor with 4K, 144Hz refresh rate, and advanced features.[28]

Products

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Monitors

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As well as gaming and esports monitors, BenQ manufacturer monitors under its BenQ brand name for a range of other target markets including photography, videography, small to medium (SMB) businesses, large corporate businesses, home or studying.

Projectors

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In May 2022, BenQ announced they had seized the No.1 market share for 4K and Full HD projectors in Q1 2022. According to Futuresource Consulting Quarterly Market Track Reports, BenQ reached the leading position as a vendor by sales volume in Europe. It achieved a market share of 23.42% for 4K, and of 24.5% for Full HD for the period Q1 2022.[29]

In May 2023, BenQ announced three new models in their 1K home cinema range including W4000i, W2710i and TK860i.[30]

In September 2023, BenQ released their new Gaming Projector X Series - X3100i, X500i and X300G.[31] Compatible with all major consoles including Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

Interactive displays

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In March 2023, BenQ Launched the First Education Interactive Displays with Official Google Mobile Services at Bett Show in the UK[32]

Current models[33]
Model name Year sold
RE01 2022–Present
RM03 2022–Present
RP03 2022–Present
RP04 2023–Present
RM04 2024-Present
RE04 2024-Present
 
BenQ Education branding

BenQ Education

In 2023, BenQ launched its subbrand, BenQ Education with a new logo, colour scheme and website to showcase its interactive displays for the education market.[34] Rivalling competitors in the education display market such as Promethean, Clevertouch, Vestel and Smartboard.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Acer spins off peripherals unit". News.cnet.com. 5 December 2001. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  2. ^ Plunkett, Jack (2007). Plunkett's Advertising & Branding Industry Almanac 2007: Advertising. Plunkett Research. ISBN 9781593920869. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  3. ^ "Corporate Introduction". BenQ. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  4. ^ "Acer cuts BenQ's cord". ZDNet UK. 18 April 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  5. ^ "BenQ S500 - GSM - cellular phone Overview - CNET". www.cnet.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10.
  6. ^ "Xinhua - English". Xinhua. 2005-06-08. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  7. ^ "Ex-Siemens Subsidiary Flops: BenQ Bankruptcy Causes Furor". Spiegel Online. 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  8. ^ a b Nystedt, Dan (2006-08-24). "BenQ to spin off manufacturing operations". InfoWorld. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  9. ^ "BenQ rejoins the smartphone market with two tepid Android models". Engadget. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  10. ^ "IMEI lookup". Imei-number.com. 31 March 2012.
  11. ^ Ziegler, Chris (8 November 2010). "Dell Venue Pro on sale at Microsoft stores, but good luck getting one". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  12. ^ Beren, David (12 November 2010). "Dell Fesses Up To Venue Pro Wi-Fi Issues, Will Reship November 19th". TmoNews. PhoneDog. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  13. ^ Bishop, Bryan (28 March 2012). "Dell retires Venue and Venue Pro in the US, future smartphone plans unclear". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Benq is Dead, Long Live ... Qisda?". WIRED. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  15. ^ "Proyektor Malang | 085749572513". Archived from the original on 2017-04-05. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  16. ^ "The Story of BenQ and ZOWIE | ZOWIE Asia Pacific | ZOWIE Asia Pacific". zowie.benq.com. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  17. ^ "ZOWIE by BenQ on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  18. ^ "Esports Brands". prosettings.net. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  19. ^ Baker, Simon (2022-09-14). "BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K Announced with 24.5" 1080p and 360Hz, but with a TN Film Panel". TFTCentral. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  20. ^ "ZOWIE Joins VCT EMEA as the Official Display Partner for the Remainder of the 2022 Season! | ZOWIE UK". zowie.benq.eu. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  21. ^ "BenQ Announces ZOWIE EC-CW Wireless Mouse for Esports | ZOWIE UK". zowie.benq.eu. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  22. ^ "BenQ MOBIUZ Gaming Monitors Unlock New Levels of Audio-visual Immersion".
  23. ^ "What's the Difference Between HDR and HDRi?".
  24. ^ "BenQ Eye-care Technology | BenQ Europe".
  25. ^ "BenQ MOBIUZ Launch their First OLED Gaming Monitor EX480UZ". BenQ. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  26. ^ "MOBIUZ Gaming Monitors | BenQ US". www.benq.com. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  27. ^ "BenQ's new 4K miniLED gaming monitor helps you see in the dark". PCGamesN. 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  28. ^ Gupta, Jitendra. "BenQ EX381U with 4K UHD IPS display and 144Hz refresh rate launched for gamers". Trendytechdev. Jitendra Gupta. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  29. ^ "BenQ 4K & Full HD Projector Market Share Reached No. 1 in Europe". BenQ. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  30. ^ Archer, John. "BenQ Unveils Four New 4K Home Projectors - Including Laser And LED Models". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  31. ^ "All-New BenQ X Series Immersive Gaming Projectors Wow Gamers with Unprecedented Detail Performance". BenQ. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  32. ^ "BenQ Launches First Education Interactive Displays with Official Google Mobile Services at Bett UK 2023". www.benq.eu. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  33. ^ "Compare BenQ Board Interactive Displays". www.benq.com. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  34. ^ "Shape the future of learning". www.benq.eu. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
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