Philips wins 27 prestigious iF design awards in seven categories

Eindhoven, The Netherlands - Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) has received major acclaim in the annual iF product design award competition, winning 27 awards in 7 categories. This is further confirmation of its people-centric design approach that integrates its deep understanding of people, society, business and technology trends.

The underlying goal of design at Philips has always been to bridge the divide between people and technology, adapting technologies to meet people’s needs more effectively. Philips Design applies this belief to all areas and this year, products across the company’s three sectors – Consumer Lifestyle, Healthcare and Lighting – have received iF product design awards.

Leading in lifestyle

The many iF awards received in the lifestyle categories are further confirmation of Philips’ design approach that create relevant solutions based on deep insights.  The winners include:

The highly acclaimed Aurea 42PFL9900D builds on Ambilight innovation to show the future in home entertainment. Switched on, Aurea provides a seamless immersive viewing experience, while when switched off it has a harmonious, high end feel to it and blends into its surroundings.

The GoGear Digital Audio Video Player SA9345 allows users to easily enjoy all their videos, music and photos. The sensory touch keys light up as needed and the vertical touch pad leaves an illuminated trail. A speedy response from the sensory touch pad and the clicker sound combine to create an easy and intuitive user interface.

The In-ear Noise Cancelling Headphones SHN7500 are perfect for travelers.  The control device on the end of the neck strap can be turned on to reduce unwanted ambient noise by 80% making them a perfect solution for listening to music in planes, trains and buses.

The Food processor HR7774 is part of the 2007 High End Kitchen Appliances Range. It is compact, easy to clean and its stainless steel finish adds a feeling of luxury and professionalism.

EcoClassic50 is the first ever energy saving lamp purposely designed to suit fixtures where existing energy-savers could not be used and giving excellent light quality. From hotel chains to lights in the home, the lamp helps saving energy without compromising the light or visual effect of the lighting installation.

Professional solutions

Philips’ designs in the professional arena create a strong, positive impression with an iconic design concept. Attention is paid to every detail of the product and systems, both inside and out – creating a lasting impression of the Philips brand and reassuring the customer in the investment that has been made.  This has been recognized by the iF  which awarded three products in the Professional solutions categories including:

The CitySpirit Post, which uses a transparent outer skin to give the product a softer character and a pleasant lighting effect at night, while transparent materials lighten its appearance during the day.

One of the world's key design competitions

The iF product design award is extremely prestigious, and its significance is recognized throughout the design world and beyond. More than 20 internationally recognized jurors, consisting of designers and entrepreneurs, engage in critical discussion and debate to select the winning products from approximately 2000 competing entries spanning more than 30 countries. Since its inauguration in 1953, the iF design award has been an enduring accolade for outstanding design. Companies and design studios use the iF seal as a visible symbol of product and service quality.

The awards ceremony will take place on March 4, which is opening day of the 2008 iF design exhibition. The iF Yearbook will be launched on the same day. The exhibition runs until August 2008, and approximately 300,000 international visitors are expected to attend during this period. All prize-winning entries will also be shown at the on-line iF exhibition.

Information on all Philips iF award winning products can be found at:  www.design.philips.com.