Samsung and Giorgio Armani team up on mobile phones, LCD TVs

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.

[Steve Jobs @ Sep 23rd 2007 4:32PM]

Let the marathon of iPhone knockoffs begin!!!!

[Argot @ Sep 23rd 2007 4:43PM]

You mean Prada knockoffs of course, you know, like the iPhone, Samsung etc...

[Piotr @ Sep 23rd 2007 4:54PM]

For me it's just another expensive-phone-because-has-a-fashion-brand...

Sorry if my english is not correct... Still learning...

[rudebo @ Sep 23rd 2007 5:22PM]

you know funny thing is ... apples i phone is itself "just another expensive-phone-because-has-a-fashion-brand..." in fact pin that on everything apple made ... people who digg armani will like this thing just like apple fans.

i'm not saying theres anything abd about it.. its just so

[coach @ Sep 23rd 2007 5:17PM]

These phones don't add anything specs-wise. It's just looks and image. There are people who are willing to pay for that, but it's not my cup of tea.

[McGinley @ Sep 23rd 2007 5:26PM]

I hope this designer electronics thing doesnt become too widespread.Its a bit silly if you ask me.

[dj-kenpo @ Sep 23rd 2007 5:52PM]

so pop singers are producing perfume and clothing lines, and clothing producers are now into tech producers...

is anyone else somewhat confused/scared or is this just evolution?

[noisia @ Sep 23rd 2007 7:37PM]

a case "designed by armani" isnt making the software any better...

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 23rd 2007 6:00PM]

Bad tan, bad surgery, nice clothes = wealthy guy

[Up-In-Olympus @ Sep 24th 2007 12:05AM]

Anyone notice how Georgio looks a lil bit like David Bowie's skeleton?

[Xzavier @ Sep 23rd 2007 6:44PM]

To me this is long over due. I always thought computer manufactures would team up with fashion designers when Sony jump into the Laptop/Desktop market! Sony has nice cosmetics but what did they know about building complete PC's/laptops? From their I sworn that IBM, Dell, Compaq, etc... would team up with fashion designers and start pumping out some awesome PC designs with a very expensive price tags if you wanted to get that Design name on it! Well, it never really took of though.

Now here's Samsung and LG(phones), Acer(Ferrari). Perhaps an electronics/fashion trend will start?

[wrabbit @ Sep 23rd 2007 6:56PM]

Okay, here's the deal, being a good fashion designer doesn't qualify you to be a good gadget designer. For one, functionality in gadgets gotta come first - see the new iMac for a bad keyboard design. Furthermore, how can you honestly design a good phone if you know nothing about usability - this isn't something a person just takes out and displays it, they actually use them.

If electronics companies want to team up with good designers for luxury gadgets they should go to car, or at least, furniture designers.

[kadajawi @ Sep 24th 2007 6:33AM]

Yeah. There are industrial designers for that job. Let them do the job. I do wonder if Armani has anything to do with this phone other than allowing Samsung to print his name on it. At least with the B&O phone from Samsung you could see that it's from B&O.

[emjoi @ Sep 23rd 2007 7:23PM]

After years of fake watches, t-shirts, jeans and handbags available in Thailand, Bali and Hong Kong, now we can look forward to fake Vercace and Tommy Hilfiger mobile phones.

To go along with your faux iPod, of course.

[Mark @ Sep 23rd 2007 7:56PM]

replace "luxury" with "extremely expensive" so that it will describe the product better.

[Calvin @ Sep 23rd 2007 10:12PM]

Imagine how much an iPhone Gucci will cost.

[Galley @ Sep 24th 2007 9:33AM]

Could someone please photoshop the creepy old guy out of that photo? I wanna gaze at the models.

[pr @ Sep 24th 2007 5:47PM]

This was actually going to be a really nice phone before the price got jacked up because the Armani name is attached to it. Unfortunate.

[lol @ Nov 24th 2007 10:52AM]

that's what they want...! they know that there are always some people who are willing to pay that price to get that product... skimming the market.. isn't it?