Samsung's Armani touch runs Windows Mobile

Samsung on Friday revealed that its flagship Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone will be part of its Armani-themed fashion line. The device has a bronze-trimmed theme meant to appeal both to executives and other more style conscious users, but it's also one of the company's more functionally advanced devices. It centers on a 3.5-inch AMOLED display more vibrant than LCDs and has a sliding QWERTY design that, like the HTC Touch Pro2 or Nokia N97, tilts the screen at an angle for a more natural viewpoint when typing.

Wi-Fi hasn't been mentioned, though 3G is presumed and will come alongside GPS. Only 8GB of storage is built into the phone itself, but a microSDHC slot will give it room for significantly more. Samsung adds that it won't rely on Microsoft's OS alone and is using the same in-house TouchWiz variant as found on the upcoming Omnia II.

Specific availability hasn't been mentioned, but in Europe the Armani touchscreen model will cost about 700 Euros ($1,031), most likely unsubsidized, when it goes on sale. The Armani phones released to date haven't supported North American 3G bands and haven't been sold through normal channels in the US.

By Electronista Staff