Samsung + Armani = fashionista phone

The link-up between technology companies and the world of fashion continues. Now Samsung and Italian designer Giorgio Armani have teamed up to design a TV and mobile phone, and other consumer electronics products.

Later on today, Armani will unveil the new mobile phone at his Milan show for next year's Giorgio Armani womenswear. The phone is due to go on sale in the UK and the rest of Europe from November, although no pricing details have been confirmed.

The Armani-Samsung mobile handset will be the size of a credit card and 10.5 millimetres thick, the companies said in a statement.

"We make as much of a personal statement with the mobile phones that we carry or the televisions that we have in our living rooms as we do with the shoes and bags we wear or the furnishings we choose," said Giorgio Armani, president and chief executive officer of Armani, in the statement.

Armani LCD TV

Armani said it is also developing a LCD TV set that will be unveiled in January next year, most likely at CES 2008 in Las Vegas.

Previously, fellow Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana teamed up with Motorola for a gold-coloured version of the RAZR mobile phone model, while Prada has developed the popular Prada phone with LG.

Armani-Samsung mobile - key specifications:

• GPRS/ EDGE Tri-Band (900/1800/1900)
• 3-megapixel camera
• 2.6-inch QVGA TFT LCD screen (262K colours)
• H.263, AAC+/MP3/WMA, MPEG4, AAC, e-AAC+ supported multimedia formats
• Bluetooth 2.0/ USB 2.0/ MTP 2.0
• Mobile printing (BPP, PictBridge)
• MicroSD external memory slot
• Bluetooth stereo headset (A2DP)
• Full touchscreen and touch user interface
• 87.5 x 54.5 x 10.5mm / 85g
• 880mAh rechargeable battery