The Samsung Armani phone (Formerly known as the P520) is the latest example of a successful mobile phone manufacturer linking up with the world of high fashion. In terms of looks it’s hard to fault the Samsung Armani. The body is made from highly polished metal with a brassy colour which gives the Armani phone a distinguished and high end look. The Samsung Armani is also a deceptively petit handset, when looking at photos of the device it’s easy to imagine that the Armani is the same size as the iPhone, in fact it’s a lot smaller.
The sleek form of the Samsung Armani is somewhat disturbed by the gold ‘send and receive’ keys placed below the display. Although they look like touch keys they are in fact normal buttons which jut out slightly from the rest of the phone, undermining the glossy profile of the Armani. But this is a very minor criticism of a very attractive handset. One great feature is only activated once you put the Samsung Armani in its leather case. When you flip the case open, the phone is activated and it turns itself off when you close the flip.
The Armani phone is equipped with a 2.6” touchscreen TFT display which allows you to manoeuvre around the user interface software with ease. This display offers clear rich colours and generally performs very well; it does however have some trouble under direct sunlight. The real revelation is the touchscreen which performs brilliantly thanks to haptic feedback. Haptic feedback sends a vibration every time you complete an action on the touchscreen. This really gives you a feeling that you are in control and it is also an advantage over the iPhone. This would all be in vain if the interface software wasn’t up to scratch but thankfully Samsung have fitted the very popular Croix interface to the Armani so the menus are clear, precise and easy to navigate.
Thankfully the Samsung Armani also has some substance to back up the style. The Armani has 60MB of internal memory and a microSD card slot, which is fortunate as there is an inbuilt music player so you won’t be without your favourite tracks. Using the touchscreen to navigate around the player is intuitive and easy but it has to be said that it doesn’t reach the heights of the iPhone.
In conclusion the Samsung Armani is a great mobile phone in its own right and an excellent alternative to the iPhone. The implementation of a three megapixel camera may even make it a better proposition for some people. Ultimately it’s a matter of personal taste but the Samsung Armani is a great blend of form and function that will not disappoint. |
