Once again, LG design and technology have been recognized at the highest level. This time, the plaudits came at the 2010 ceremony of the iF product design award, held in the German city of Hanover on March 2.

Along with reddot and IDEA, iF is one of the most prestigious design awards in the world, recognizing products that unite function, comfort and aesthetics while also displaying genuine innovation. This year, a total of 1,016 companies from 39 countries submitted 2,486 products, of which iF honored 778 for their extraordinary achievements in design.

All the award-winning entries will be on display at the iF product design award exhibition, which runs March through August at the Hanover exhibition center. The winners will also be on show on the iF website, which draws design fans from all over the world.

LG Electronics had another successful year at the 2010 iF event, with seven awards going to its phones: the Lollipop, the Watch phone, the New Chocolate phone, the Crystal phone, the Lotus Elite in the United States, the LG Mini in Europe and LG’s first Android phone.

Contrary to the widely held belief that iF only rewards aesthetic design, distinctiveness and innovation are at least as important in deciding who wins the awards. More specifically, the iF judges consider factors as diverse as workmanship, choice of materials, degree of innovation, compatibility with the environment, functionality, safety, ergonomics, brand value and the universality of its design. The iF awards consider technology to be central to a design’s success, and in recent years, the emphasis on ease of use and practicality have become ever more pronounced.

LG’s award winners this year are a diverse yet singular bunch. Designing them with specific users and regions in mind, LG successfully unveiled new, cutting-edge technologies such as the world’s first Watch phone, a 21:9 ratio display unit and a transparent handset.

Here is a brief introduction to LG’s iF honor roll:

(Left, Below) Created with teenagers in mind, the Lollipop packs an auto-focusing 3 megapixel camera on the outside and a 1.3 megapixel camera on the inside, making it the perfect handset for taking regular pictures or self-portraits.

(Right, Above) The LG Watch Phone is the world’s first touch mobile phone to support both voice and video calls. To provide the perfect platform for its 1.43-inch LCD, LG has removed practically everything apart from the screen, while designing the profile to look like a trapezoid.

(Above) With its New Chocolate phones, LG stripped the design to the bone to deliver a “Real Cinema View” – courtesy of a 21:9 ratio screen – along with easier internet access and browsing.

(Left, Below) Boasting the world’s first transparent keypad, the slide-type LG Crystal combines the very best of LG technology and design in a single handset.

(Right, Above) Equipped with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the LG Andro-1 (LG GW620) is LG’s first Android-based smartphone. With its rounded edges, the LG Andro-1 is easy to use and very comfortable to the grip.

(Left, Below) In its diminutive package, the LG Mini packs a 5 megapixel camera, HD video shooting, video calling and GPS. Its metal frame and robust display make it deceptively tough, while a rubber cover minimizes discoloration and scuffing. In addition, its new, narrow-bezel LCD makes its 3.2-inch screen look bigger.

(Right, Above) With an array of customizable features, the Lotus Elite is specially designed to appeal to American teens and 20-somethings eager to express a bit of themselves in their mobiles.

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