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Prada phone by LG 3.0 review
LG and Prada have a history of collaboration; their debut phone arrived around the same time as the first iPhone, sporting a black and white display, a petite footprint and a 2-megapixel camera. Next, the Prada II brandished a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera and arrived at a time when WiFi functionality was a big enough deal to note on the press release. Four years on, the pair have rolled their sleeves and attempted to reclaim a place among the top devices, with classy aesthetics backed up by a strong hardware and attractively customized software. This is the team's first attempt at an Android device, and on paper it's got some respectable specifications, including a 4.3-inch NOVA Plus display, a dual-core processor and an 8-megapixel camera sensor that appears to be the same one found on LG's 2011 flagship models. Granted, LG probably wasn't ever planning to include its latest HD IPS screen on a phone where branding was dominated by the other partner, but this smartphone still wants to appeal beyond its good looks. It's now appeared in Korea and Western Europe and we were fortunate enough to borrow one from UK retailer Phones 4u for review. Are people willing to stump up the top-tier smartphone cash for a device with last year's specifications? Do people want a Prada phone? Might a fashionista be more likely to plump for an iPhone? Or is it too popular? And what about that monochrome skin? We'll talk it all out after the break.
Samsung's Giorgio Armani WinMo smartphone to be revealed June 11
Do you speak Italian? We don't either, but we're still pretty sure the above image has something to do with Samsung, Microsoft, and Giorgio Armani, and that the three are set to collide on June 11. Given the earlier talk of a WinMo fashionphone from the trio we're pretty sure what to expect, but wouldn't mind being surprised with some really high-tech business wear. We'll bring you more as it happens, you gadget fashionista you.[Thanks, Ron]
Hugo Boss infiltrates Samsung F480 in Europe
Prada, Armani, Hugo Boss -- who's next? Coco Chanel? As the trendsetters paradoxically begin to follow the trends, we've got yet another fashion icon placing his name on a touchscreen-based phone. Except in this case, there's really nothing special about it at all. In essence, the Hugo Boss edition F480 is simply a Samsung F480 with a Hugo Boss logo, Hugo Boss themes and a set of Hugo Boss-inspired ringtones (saywha?). Oh, and there's the Hugo Boss Bluetooth headset for those who actually enjoy transforming into a full-fledged walking advertisement. Feel free to point and laugh when you see it in European stores next month for €479 ($620).
Samsung U440 / Cleo drops by the FCC
Looks like Canada isn't the only country out there getting kisses from Cleo. According to documents recently filed with the FCC, the sassy cellphone looks set to emerge Stateside on Verizon with the decidedly unsassy designation U440. Will the stylish phone -- with its full QWERTY keyboard, 1.3 megapixel camera, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, threaded SMS text messaging and up to 8GB storage -- make its domestic debut soon? Not soon enough, we think![Via Phone Scoop]
Samsung Cleo launches in sassy, stylish Canada
We heard a while back that the Samsung Cleo was on its way, and and now it's arrived -- well, if you're lucky enough to live in Canada, anyway. It's not the only square flip phone on the planet, but it's definitely the most fashion-conscious. As far as we can tell, specs are pretty much beside the point, but it's got a QWERTY keyboard, color LCD screen, 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 playback, and expandable memory up to 8GB (we're guessing in microSD format). More importantly, this attractive little devil (it's just over 2.5-inches wide and 3-inches tall) comes in pink, blue, and (our personal favorite) champagne. Though it's been officially launched, the Cleo's not for sale quite yet, and there's no word on price. We also don't know when or if it'll strut its way to the US, but we've got our fingers crossed. We really do.
LG Shine gets Titanium Black makeover for Europe
As if the original Shine wasn't hot enough, LG is bringing a Titanium Black edition to those across the pond in hopes of wrangling a few more customers who have an eye for anything covered in metallic grey. A member of the coveted Black Label series, this handset won't deviate feature-wise one iota from the original, but the classy all-metal exterior should catch quite a few eyes regardless. You'll still find the two-megapixel camera, scroll wheel control scheme, media player, Bluetooth, and compatibility with GPRS and EDGE networks, and while pricing details on this sexy handset are currently unavailable, those dwelling in the UK can expect it to land late this year, while those in France, Netherlands, and Austria should receive it sometime thereafter.[Via UnwiredView]
Levi's intros shiny new cellphones
Levi's made its cellphone intentions pretty well known late last year, but it's just now following through with them, trotting out its new line of self-branded phones made with more than a little help from ModeLabs. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot in the way of technical details at the moment, but Levi's is more than willing to talk up the phone's various style advantages, including its riveted steel casing and detachable chain. From the looks of it, you'll also be able to get the phone in your choice of five color schemes, including metallic silver, black, brown copper, "shiny silver," and "shiny sand" -- the latter two of which also come with "mirror" screens. More details should be trickling out as we near the phone's September launch date, which appears to be confined to Europe for the time being.
Cingular 3125 / HTC Star Trek reviewed
Ever since the RAZR popularized the concept of thinness as a selling point for mobile phones, the industry has been flooded with dozens of copy-cat devices attempting to cash in on the trend for anorexic handsets. Until now, Windows Mobile devices have largely skipped past this fad, with the majority of said phones either being chunky candybars or wide QWERTY phones. The first of no doubt many WinMob phones to take a good stab at combining RAZR thin beauty with Windows Mobile's business practicality is the HTC Star Trek (or Cingular's 3125 if you prefer the numerical name). As well as looking substantially more attractive than most of its peers, the 3125 does the most important core features of a cellphone very well: for example, the 3125's long lasting battery life will go down well with potential buyers, though Cingular may have gone slightly overboard with their higher capacity cell that add a lot of junk to the phone's trunk. The relatively low price ($149.99), vibrant internal and external displays, and great reception combined with the unparalleled design for a device of its type all point to the 3125 being a good phone. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, a number of niggles mean that the Star Trek isn't quite a great phone. An array of outdated features like Bluetooth 1.1, USB 1.1, an average camera, and the lack of Wi-Fi, 3G UMTS, and an IR port will disappoint certain buyers. There are also a couple of notable, but relatively minor design no-nos, like the microSD slot being located underneath the SIM card, and a single proprietary data, power, and audio port awkwardly located on the side of the phone. PC Magazine said that if you "think of the handset as a cutting-edge smartphone ... you'll probably be disappointed", with The Unwired saying that the 3125 is "a lifestyle and fashion-device which can also attract regular mobile phone users" and Laptop Magazine calling it "just smart enough": what we think they're trying to say is that the 3125 is a phone that will satisfy business types with an eye for design, but has a far too limited feature set to keep power users happy.Read - Laptop MagazineRead - PC MagazineRead - The UnwiredRead - Mobility Site
More sweet chocolate from LG: the "Black Label II"
LG just unveiled the next generation of its popular "Chocolate" phone at the recent Expo Comm Wireless Korea 2006, and it seems to maintain the same features and minimalist elegance as its predecessor in a slightly thicker package (16.5-millimeters versus the original's 15.3). Also called the "Black Label II" or by its model number, KV6000, this handset is primarily targeted at the fashion-conscious crowd who also want to snap a pic or rock out to tunes once in awhile, letting them load the 512MB of memory with up to 120 MP3 tracks. Starting price for this newest bit of Chocolate is around $530, but it will probably only be seen on the streets of Seoul for the time being.Update: You guys are the best. Reader Jay saw this post and directed to us a slew of great BLII pics at Korean site Cetizen, including one which shows that the camera is a very respectable 1.3 megapixels. Keep reading for a few more shots...
Samsung SGH-E870 fashionphone to come in a rainbow of colors
Besides the "white silver" outfit we saw it displaying for a "review" a few months back, Samsung's SGH-E870 tri-band GSM/EDGE fashionphone will also be available in five other exciting shades, which for simplicity's sake, we'll call silver, blue, pink, gold, and red. As you may or may not recall (because, well, this phone isn't all that memorable), the E870 is multimedia-centric clamshell featuring a 1.3 megapixel cam, 80MB of storage plus microSD to store tunes and vids, and Bluetooth for handsfree action (although there's no mention of A2DP). Even better, this new set of pics answers our previous question about whether the outside of the flip sports those handy dedicated music controls -- it doesn't.
