Samsung Armani review

Features
Turn it on and you're presented with the Croix user interface that's also found on the Samsung F700. It's an attractive UI but it lacks depth and doesn't allow you to do many of things you can do on certain other Samsung phones, such as install Java apps like Google Maps and Opera Mini.

Fashion phones don't always have to be under-featured but this one is. While you do get a 3-megapixel camera with LED photo light, an MP3 player, an Internet browser and EDGE (2.75G), that's about it in terms of headline features. We're disappointed given the association with a fancy fashion brand.

Even the features that it did have didn't leave us very impressed. The Internet browser, for example, felt clunky to use due to the poor navigation options. Not having the best features might not be a problem for everyone, though, especially if you're just looking for an attractive phone that fits in your pocket.

Performance
Audio quality during calls was loud and clear without any noticeable distortion or mumbling. The loudspeaker worked well. Audio quality from the music player is sufficient but because you can't use your own headphones, we really didn't like using it that much -- the proprietary headphones don't give out a great sound.

Picture quality from the 3-megapixel camera was good for MMS messages and small prints but when we viewed pictures at a larger size they seemed blurry. Pictures in low light didn't come out well because the LED photo light will not illuminate your area of focus that well, especially compared to phones with xenon flashes.

Battery life was good, lasting for over two days before needing to be recharged. It's quoted at 220 hours on standby and 6 hours talk time.

Conclusion
If you're looking to squeeze an attractive phone into your skinny jeans, the Samsung Armani fits the bill. It's sturdy enough that you won't need to worry about it snapping it in half when you sit down. If you're looking for a super phone that does it all and lets you easily access the Internet on the fly, then we don't recommend buying the Armani phone.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday