Samsung’s P520 Armani Phone

Samsung’s SGH-P520 Armani phone is a high-fashion cell phone that is
meant to take on the likes of Apple’s iPhone and LG’s Prada phone. It
certainly has the good looks, and it packs some solid multimedia
capabilities into its svelte form, but has Samsung been able to adapt
to the concept of finger basic touchscreen navigation the way the
other two have?

Physical Aspects

When it comes to physical appearance and design, the Samsung Armani
phone has what it takes. It is no larger than 9 or 10 stacked credit
cards, 88mm x 55mm x 10.5mm (3.5″ x 2.2″ .4″), and weighs only 86g
(3.0oz). The included case that it snaps into adds a good layer of
protection for an additional 34g (1.2oz), while still providing access
to the camera and all of the buttons and ports on the phone’s edges.
It is probably a good idea to use the case, even though the Armani’s
2.6″, QVGA resolution display seems reasonably rugged.

The display is touch sensitive and intended to be used with a
fingertip, just like the one on the Apple iPhone. It senses even very
light finger touches on its surface, but also seems responsive to
indirect finger touches as well. For example, I was able to fumble
through the menus and dial pad on the phone while wearing a pair of
insulated leather gloves, something that I found quite surprising.
Considering that the touch screen works in spite of leather, paper, or
plastic most of the time, it seems quite possible that it is somewhat
pressure sensitive, even though the display doesn’t appear to have any
real give to it. The touch action doesn’t work as well as the
iPhone’s, but overall it works better than LG’s Venus and Prada
handsets do.

The only two keys on the front of the phone are the call send and end
keys. The volume, camera, and hold/lock buttons, along with the
microSD slot and power/headset/data port are found on the sides of the
phone. A safety latch on the bottom releases the rear battery cover,
which sits below the camera lens and flash.

In terms of accessories, the Samsung Armani phone ships with a USB
cable, a stereo headset, and an Armani cleaning cloth – all packed in
a soft black bag. In addition to the previously mentioned snap-on
cover, the phone also comes with a soft pouch for storage.

The overall build of the phone is rock solid and very attractive. It
has all of the appropriate hardware keys, and a sufficiently large and
useable touchscreen. The hardware design of the Armani phone is a good
one.