The Hagenuk Global handy was co-developed by Hagenuk Telecom and Japanese company Toshiba. The phone was manufactured by Hagenuk at its Kiel factory in Germany.
It was the first GSM phone with an integrated antenna and had an "ergonomic S-shaped design" to help it "fit comfortably against the ear and in the palm." It was marketed with the slogan "Antenna Nein-Danke". At 17mm thick, the phone was one of the thinnest on the market when it launched.
It also had a built-in user guide to help owners get up and running without using a manual. It also allowed users to "definite their own personal menu structure" which seemed like a good idea but made the phone impossibly confusing if a user messed up the menus.