Samsung and Armani do it again and the GSMArena fashion column is back in business. It's a whole new dress code this time, as the Samsung M7500 Emporio Armani leaves the tux in the closet and goes clubbing. And if a name that opens doors is not enough, the Emporio Armani phone by Samsung claims to have an ear for music. We guess there's no doubt though, its No 1 job is to get you noticed. Aptly dubbed Night Effect, the M7500 Emporio Armani just loves it when it's dark. So, someone please hit the lights.

Each time a fashion brand enters the mobile phone market controversy is inevitable. The haute couture label certainly justifies the asking price but will the handset get away with gaps in the spec sheet.


Official photos of Samsung M7500 Emporio Armani

The Samsung M7500 Emporio Armani is a stylish handset with a distinct focus on music. The flashing light effects, the dedicated music keys plus the 3.5mm jack and the slightly redone music player application are a reason enough for music lovers to check it out before purchasing their next handset. The distinct music slant is also quite in line with the handset's obvious refusal to compete for a top slot in the fashion phone segment.

Key Features:

  • Quad-band GSM and 3G with HSDPA support
  • 2.2" 256K-color OLED display of QVGA resolution
  • 3 megapixel auto-focus camera with smile shot
  • Emporio Armani branding
  • Light effects
  • 120MB of internal memory and microSD memory card slot (verified to work with 16GB cards)
  • 3.5mm standard audio jack
  • Dedicated music keys
  • FM radio with RDS
  • Bluetooth (with A2DP) and USB v2.0
  • Multi-tasking support and a convenient shortcut bar on the homescreen
  • Office document viewer
  • ShoZu integration
  • Smart dial

Main disadvantages:

  • Hefty price tag
  • QCIF video recording
  • No camera flash
  • No accelerometer, so no fancy music controls or screen rotation
  • Smallish display for the price range
  • Task Manager is assigned to the camera key

With the Emporio Armani logo, Samsung are trying to attract users who have both music features and style in mind. The phone is mainly youth-oriented, especially with the flashy stripes and logos on the sides.


The Emporio Armani phone at ours

It is interesting to note the partnership that gave birth to the Samsung Armani phone back in September 2007 was not a one-hit-wonder. But Samsung have obviously tried to not make it d?j? vu all over again. The original Giorgio Armani touchscreen phone clearly has the high-end sophistication, confidence and class associated with the luxury Giorgio Armani brand whereas the Emporio Armani target range is different and that's obviously reflected in the M7500. Take the flashy branding away and you get a regular handset with music on its mind. Think M3510 and M3200 of the Beat series.