The iF jury’s judging criteria included quality of design and finish, choice of materials, environmental impact and functionality. The ceremony took place in Munich, Germany on 9 February.

“The Xperia active smartphone reflects our commitment to offer handsets for active consumers with stunning design inside and out,” said Colin Williamson, marketing manager at Sony Ericsson South Africa. “Design has always been a cornerstone of how we approach innovation and we will continue to build on this success with the new iconic design language introduced as part of 2012 portfolio.”

The iF product design gold award recognises the best designs in the telecommunications industry. Xperia active boasts a scratch resistant touch display that can be used even when fingers are wet, as well as technology that enables the display to be seen in bright sunshine.

“We warmly congratulate Sony Ericsson for its first iF gold award. Xperia active is a very functional smartphone with a highly elegant design. Especially for sport users, it is the number one choice and the water and dust resistance make it a very special product – a symbiosis of functionality and elegance,” said Ralph Wiegmann, managing director of iF International Forum Design GmbH in Hannover.