There was little doubt Samsung and Armani's latest tie-up was the real deal, but just in case you're more skeptical than most, the pair has launched a dedicated promo site to pump up the flashy candybar. The Samsung Armani Night Effect boasts a 2.2-inch OLED display, lots of LED accents, HSDPA support, a 3.2-megapixel camera, multimedia player, FM radio tuner, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, 120MB of internal memory and a microSD expansion slot. We're hearing that it'll be released this November in both black and white motifs, each running €300 ($439). Check out lots more delectable images over at Engadget Spanish.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

If you've seen our shots of Samsung's Armani redo, the F480, you might have noticed it's running a new OS. The UI -- called TouchWiz -- is based off of the company's Croix interface (which apparently was rushed out to compete with the iPhone), and will be used on all of the upcoming finger-touch phones from the manufacturer. The cats over at Phone Scoop had a chance to go one-on-one with TouchWiz at Mobile World Congress, and they've put together a pretty informative video that shows off the UI doing its thing. The inclusion of a new widget system, expanded menu options, and overall speed bump make this OS a notable step up from Samsung's previous offering. Take a look at the video after the break to see the system getting all funky-fresh.

[Thanks, Martijn]

Well, Mr. Armani, sir, we've got to hand it to you -- you know how to make a phone, and a darned good one at that. Of course, our tongues are firmly planted in our cheeks here; we know full well that Giorgio Armani and crew did little more than slap its name on one of Samsung's more upscale fashion phones in an emergency countermeasure to LG's KE850 Prada, but regardless of the circumstances, the P520 Armani is a gorgeous, well-constructed, well-thought out phone of the highest order. Let's put it this way, then, Giorgio: you picked the right Samsung to grace with your legendary marque.

The phone is dang small -- about the size of the P310 "credit card" phone -- which evokes educated guesses of what an iPhone nano might look and feel like. The P520's interface is a thinly veiled rehash of the same UI found on most of Samsung's modern handsets, though there's plenty of Armani media installed to make it clear exactly what it is that you paid extra for (not to say the extra-fancy box and brassy sheen aren't neat, too). Unlike LG's KU990 Viewty, we found the touchscreen to be a pleasure to use (very iPhone-like, actually) with a smooth, glassy surface that's bright, clear, easy to actuate, and easy to slide across. Make no mistake, this isn't a smartphone -- in fact, it barely qualifies as a feature phone in some respects -- but the Armani is easy to use, easy to carry, and a surefire conversation starter. Whether it's the right phone... well, that all depends on your priorities, we suppose.

Thanks to the good folks at Wireless Imports for the hookup!

Although we came across Samsung's SGH-F490 during a recent FCC scavenger hunt, it, along with the previously announced P720 were recently spotted at an event in Ukraine. Unfortunately, most is lost in translation, but we can gather that the latter will rock dual SIM card slots, a 3-megapixel camera, a 320 x 240 resolution display and a price tag upwards of $500. As for the F490, you can expect a 5-megapixel camera, touchscreen display (presumably with tactile feedback support), 432 x 240 resolution panel and an estimated cost of $600. Beyond that, it seems that we'll have to wait before finding out more, but considering the Q2 / Q1 2008 release dates (respectively), we ought not be waiting long.

[Via UnwiredView]

All hail, all hail, official pics of the Samsung / Armani mashup: the Armani phone. Here's the haute couturey poop: tri-band 900/1800/1900 GSM, 3 megapixel camera, 2.6-inch 262K color QVGA touchscreen LCD, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support, microSD expansion, full Internet browser, and support for H.263, AAC/MP3/WMA audio and MPEG-4 video. Fine and dandy but this little guy also features a haptic feedback user interface like Samsung's SCH-W559 handset loosed long ago in China -- "users can feel an immediate mild vibration when they touch icons on the display." How you like them Apples, Apple? The Prada-esque slab currently measures in at 87.5 x 54.5 x 10.5-mm and 85-grams; less after it starts making regular, post-meal trips to the toilet following its November European release.

[Via GadgetZone]

In an exciting peanut-butter-in-my-chocolate development, Samsung has announced its plans to manufacture new products jointly designed with famed fashion magnate Giorgio Armani (of course, we knew this was coming). According to reports, Giorgio and the company are teaming up for the development of a "luxury" mobile phone, as well as a "luxury" LCD television, both of which are rumored to be extremely "luxurious." The phone (which we first heard about in July) will make its first "official" appearance at an Armani fashion show in Milan, Italy, while the television will rear its gorgeous head sometime in January. "This powerful partnership will match great design with leading technology to ensure performance is as impressive as appearance," said Yun Jong-Yong, vice chairman of Samsung. Could this be the company's answer to LG's Prada mash-up? We think yes.

It's been awhile since we've heard from Samsung's SGH-P520. Now we know why. The pretty little touchscreen was undergoing a couture refitting in preparation for launch as the Armani Phone -- take that LG Prada. Priced at €400 (about $557), this FCC-approved tri-band GSM / EDGE candybar is listed with a 2.6-inch 240 x 320 pixel display, stereo Bluetooth, and microSD expansion to augment the 50MB on-board. Funny, we heard it also has WiFi though there's no mention of it by the folks at GSMHelpDesk who tracked this pup down. Expected before the end of the year in Europe.

[Via Unwired View]

In the wake of increased competition from Motorola and Nokia in particular, Samsung is reportedly "restructuring its handset division," which will aim to find "new sources of revenue, realigning businesses, and cut costs." As expected, the move will also involve a number of "personnel reshuffles," but a Samsung spokesman was quoted as saying that there won't be any "forceful" job cuts. Interestingly, we're hearing further details that the firm is indeed courting the idea of partnering with "luxury name brands such as Italian fashion house Armani to develop premium brand phones," and considering just how hot avant-garde mobiles have been of late, we certainly don't think that's a bad idea.

[Via JustAMP]