Collaborating with a high-end fashion label may be a smart way to add some brand cachet, but Samsung’s teamwork with Giorgio Armani on its first joint labelled handset is more than just a style icon-endorsed trophy mobile.

The Giorgio Armani Samsung SGH-P520 phone is a small, super-slim and compact handset. And it’s consummately stylish. Utilising Samsung’s new Croix UI touch operating system, there’s no numberpad or Qwerty keypad on this model – just a few discreet control buttons. All revolves around its 2.6-inch display, a 262K-colour QVGA (240x320 pixels) screen that takes up most of the front panel.

Its couture credentials and touchscreen design bring it into direct comparison with the Prada Phone by LG, released last year. As with any touchscreen device post-iPhone, the Apple design is another obvious reference point.

As with LG’s Prada Phone, and the iPhone, the Giorgio Armani Samsung phone isn’t a 3G-enabled device. Wi-Fi isn’t included either, limiting its data connectivity to GPRS and EDGE speeds.

Its feature set is a familiarly robust Samsung mid-range offering, with a 3-megapixel camera, music player, a full web browser, microSD card support, and a spread of other organiser and entertainment applications.

Handling

Luxury branding is reflected in the sophisticated styling of the Giorgio Armani phone. It arrives in luxury packaging too, with some stylish in-box accessories, including a leather cover, cloth holder and pouch for earphones and leads – labelled with the Giorgio Armani logo, naturally.

The phone itself is just 10.5mm thin, measuring a pocket-friendly 87.5 (h) x 54.5(w) mm and 85g. The subtle finish on the aluminium and stainless steel casing gives it a minimalist look and feel, with only two keys –call and end buttons – on the front panel, below the Giorgio Armani branding.

In standby, there’s some rather funky wallpaper onscreen to match the design mood. The Croix touchscreen user interface is engaged by dabbing the screen with your finger rather than with a stylus or fingernail. 

Haptic feedback – small vibrations when the screen is pressed - ensures you’re aware if your control selection has hit the mark. A side Hold button enables you to lock the screen off when it’s in your pocket.

From switch-on there’s a large calendar at the bottom of the screen that can literally be swiped away to be replaced by a clock, or removed completely by changing the settings.