Samsung Ego GT-S9402 luxury phone shames the word "luxury"

We've got a bone (or three) to pick with this one, so we'll just get right down to the beating. For starters, anyone who can't recognize the striking similarity between this handset and Vertu's Ferrari Ascent Ti is obviously wearing Samsung-tinted glasses. Aside from the complete lack of originality, the Ego GT-S9402 also lacks a 3G radio -- an omission that's simply inexcusable given the estimated €1,200 ($1,513) price tag. Oh sure, there's a measly 1GB of inbuilt storage, tri-band GSM connectivity, a 5-megapixel camera (with LED flash), an FM radio module, Bluetooth 2.0, dual SIM slots and a microSDHC expansion slot, but for over a G, we expect something more than mid-range specifications in a "liquidmetal" alloy chassis. Color us emphatically unimpressed.

[Via UnwiredView]

[rock99rock @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:52AM]

Good call engadget. A phone of such "caliber" should include 3g from the get-go. Then again, if you are purchasing a phone named the Ego you probably don't deserve 3g.

[tom @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:06AM]

tri-band GSM? That is soooo 2001

[James @ Dec 3rd 2008 8:51PM]

Clearly a rip off of the Vertu Ascent:

Turn key battery cover release

Liquid metal

Screws in the bezel

http://www.sybarites.org/2006/10/28/vertu-release-new-racetrack-legends-series-phones/

[iEye @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:52AM]

Someone at Samsung press release dep. got the words "Luxury" and "Shite" mixed up!

[Paul @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:06AM]

iEye should never be highly ranked. Please adjust accordingly.

[JJV @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:15AM]

Adjusted by low-ranking Paul.

[j_g_puff @ Dec 3rd 2008 11:51AM]

Everything would be forgiven if they'd ACTUALLY employed liquid metal as the case material.
Oh well.

[TREX6662k5 @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:53AM]

Does it also want to kill John Connor?

[y3k.nik @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:54AM]

I dont even like the looks...

Whats with the appeal of crappy looking phones bathed in gold or other random expensive metal? I rather have something like a Touch HD and still save 500$ for something else.

[BratPAQ @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:57AM]

but do you understand that you are no the target market for these phones?

[y3k.nik @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:26AM]

I suppose so, but I still dont understand the appeal. Isnt Touch HD flashy enough? I am sure it will sttract attention if taken out of the pocket or purse, and even more if someone asks what is teh big deal about that.

With this one, if someone asks me .. ohh what does it do, my reply: " oh.. umm.. it makes calls while looking shiny"

[BratPAQ @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:55AM]

AFAIK, luxury phones have always been short on technical features, if you want great features, stay away from luxury phones and go with smartphones etc.

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:02AM]

FUGLY, seriously who killed the cat with those looks, it's killing my eyes.

[Saad Rabia @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:12AM]

FUGLY.

[rock99rock @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:16AM]

You've got cat eyes?

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 3rd 2008 1:03PM]

That explains the limited vocabulary...

[bebop @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:02AM]

Oh my, the styling of that is so circa 2003.

[Grant @ Dec 3rd 2008 11:55AM]

funny this is that's the only time that this thing would have even classified as luxury.

[tancheeeong @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:10AM]

nokia probably told samsung "look, buy more s60 licenses from us and we'll throw in the vertu blueprints for free"

[Patriks7 @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:23AM]

With the only difference, that the Vertu beats this easily (looks and features)

[mos @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:15AM]

If Samsung wants to beat Apple's iPod or iPhone and dominate the US market, it should not be diverse. I used Samsung's phone from a friend of mine, and the touch response was horrid. So why marketing new phones when Samsung could make much improvements to their old phones.

[Pdexter @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:45AM]

Samsung really got some solid devices especially on the build quality side and receantly they have taken the best camera place from Nokia with the 8mp(Xenon still missing thought), but their strongest point surely isn't style.

Fun to think that they are competing Nokia in the uuber luxury phones now too. Dunno if they got any equivalent for Nokia's 8xxx series too?

[holycow @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:34AM]

Looks like a Vertu wannabe!

[Buxton @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:43AM]

can't samsung stop copying and create someting new...
Vertu is not about looks but the built quality and materials used. I wonder how this thing will turn out.

[wywywywy @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:50AM]

So what feature of it is supposed to be luxurious, except the price?

[breaklaw @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:55AM]

Shameless biters. This thing is borderline KIRF before you even get into the weak specs.

[heng @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:12PM]

I hope it is at least made of Titanium !
otherwise looks nice.. but doesn't sound up to date..

[heng @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:12PM]

It better be Titanium and carbon fibre..

[Uninformed idgit @ Dec 3rd 2008 11:18AM]

Dumb American who doesn't speak fluent Spanish says:

Post your vids in uhmerikuhn please.

It is a nice video, in a "watching Sabado Gigante while drunk" kind of way though.

[Uninformed idgit @ Dec 3rd 2008 11:24AM]

So, 'luxury' actually means 'concave crotch area', yes? I'd say Samsung should get points just for giving this sad hunk of 4 year old tech an appropriate name.

[PK @ Dec 3rd 2008 11:56AM]

Luxury Samsung? "Oh, look - he got SAMSUNG, he is cool!" - isn't it nonsense like "alcohol-free vodka"?

[Grant @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:06PM]

Wait... What?
Alcohol free vodka?
I believe that's called water, available now at all major retailers of anything.

[thedesolate1 @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:38PM]

Triple distilled water made from the finest rivers in the world. Imported from the far reaches of outer space where it is produced by astronauts with the help of state of the art Nasa technology. Now a 24 oz bottle can be yours for the low low price of $99.9999

[Fuzzy Kittens @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:49PM]

@ thedesolate1

$99! WHAT A DEAL!

[thedesolate1 @ Dec 4th 2008 9:36AM]

I was trying to be funny.... you seee ------------------------------> Har Har Har -_-

[Dave @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:14PM]

I wouldn't buy one, but why have so many commented on it without looking in to it futher? And I include Engadget in this.
The Vertu wasn't feature rich, either. The site from which Engadget translated the news about this phone was Russian, where the market for status objects is quite big. Think like watches - many 'luxury' time pieces look garish and tastless, despite costing upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. Feature-wise, you're better off with a 20 dollar Timex, or if durability is your thing, a 100 dollar G-Shock.
As far as I can make out, the 'Luxury' feature of this phone is the material it is made from. Looking in to it, it I found the website http://www.liquid-metal.info , with applications being military/aerospace, baseball bats and tennis raquets, and a USB thumbstick. It looks to be an interesting material.
This is no different to using gold, silver and titanium, fancy ceramics or sapphire.

And why knock the silly garish objects? The people with arguably more money than sense subsidise development for the rest of us, just like the 'first adopters' who pay too much for a month's edge on every one else.

[Grant @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:04PM]

interesting video, even though the touch pro is more geared towards being competition for the iPhone than the diamond, despite the similarities feature wise.
I don't see the relevance of this video to this post besides that it's about phones, but i also don't really speak spanish, so maybe somewhere in there the woman said how much better the Samsung Ego GT was light years better than any of those 3 phones.

[thedesolate1 @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:32PM]

A measly 1GB..... my how times have changed huh? I remember when that used to cost an arm and a leg. It looks like Samsung still thinks it should be an arm and a leg.

[simon @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:47PM]

It's just butt ugly.

[NERV @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:51PM]

I like it a lot but the lack of 3g is a deal breaker for me

[jimmi @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:06PM]

Looks like the chassis from the old Special Edition Matrix phone. LOL

[jimmi @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:08PM]

Here is a photo

http://www.coolhunting.com/mt/archives/martixphone.gif

[topdogg617 @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:31PM]

Fake Vertu phones have no place in this world..

[matt byrne @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:27PM]

Who would even count Samsung as luxury, anyway? They're one of the most popular phones for people on free contracts and various Pay as you go deals in the UK. The fact it looks like an over-styled £100 phone that's trying too hard seals its fate as useless, bland fudd.

[[e-mail] @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:21PM]

how S.A.D. Samsung!! we expected more from you...

[iKurt @ Dec 3rd 2008 4:29PM]

ironically, Samsung's Armani phone is priced lower than this.

[Wwhat @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:03PM]

These phones are like 2 drops of water, completely similar like the looks of bush and obama...

But I'll assume that similarity thing was some joke to test the commenting crowd's alertness.

[Anon @ Dec 3rd 2008 8:18PM]

The good news is, it does have true dual sim...very rare.

[Joeyjojo @ Dec 5th 2008 12:20AM]

I bet Plaxico Burress has one of these! Obviuosly it doesn't stop bullets :(