MPIO has received the highly rated iF product design award from International Forum Design for its MPIO FL300 flash MP3 player.
"Design is a focal point of our product development, so this success is a result of our heavy investment in product development," said Marcelino Kim of MPIO. "The MPIO FL300 is just one example of how we develop fashion accessories to appeal to the digital generation." This is the second time that MPIO has won an iF product design award. Its FL100 flash player received honors in 2003.
The sleek and stylish MPIO FL300 weighs less than an ounce and is smaller than a pack of Tic Tacs -- delivering high performance digital music in 128MB and 256MB capacities. With this sapphire blue MP3 player, consumers can listen, dance, and sing along to their favorite tunes for as long as ten hours with only a one hour charge. The FL300 also features a clock, alarm, digital recorder, and doubles as USB storage.
Nearly 750 companies from 31 countries submitted more than 2,000 product entries for the iF product design award. The 14 member-jury selected winners based on design quality, processing, innovation, functionality, and ergonomics.
"There is a tendency for people to focus less on technology and more on style when selecting things like mobile phones and MP3 players, but also other electronic appliances as well. Personal products are taking the market by storm, which is opening up new options for the way we design and use products," said Bill Moggridge of design firm IDEO.
At the award ceremony on March 10, 2005, the opening day of CeBIT in Hanover, a further 50 products out of the 543 prize winners will have an opportunity to win gold or silver.