LAS VEGAS—Real Phone Card Corporation announced the product launch of the CARD Mobile Phone, designed for prominent branding and personalization.

The phone, which is being displayed in the Emerging Technology Showcase at CTIA Wireless 2009, creates a new category, according to CEO Owens Alexander. Real Phone Card owns the design for the phone, which will be assembled by a well-regarded, though unnamed, EMS in Asia, he says. Real Phone, based in San Diego, has several patents pending.

The phone includes embedded voice recognition software that eliminates the need for a traditional full keypad, giving the credit-card sized handset a large flat surface for brand identification, logos and personalized images. The phone’s software can be trained for the user’s voice and used in any language, the company says.

Many luxury product companies have branded mobile phones to suit the high fashion expectations of their customers. The CARD Mobile Phone allows consumer companies to extend their brand, promote their products and create marketing incentives by putting their name and logo on a mobile phone.

Real Phone expects the CARD Mobile Phone to be in production this summer. Distribution channel arrangements are still being developed and have not been announced.