It seemed like a fashionable phone. That is, until you realize that it runs Windows Mobile 6.5, which requires the use of a unstylely 1990s-style stylus pen to operate (say that fast). As other reviewers have said, putting an Armani badge on a Windows Mobile phone is like putting lipstick on a pig.

I like the Acer Race Car Laptops better.

I'm sick to the back teeth of hearing about the mythical "you have to use a stylus" thing. I use a Windows Mobile 6.1 handset as my main phone every day, and the only time I've had to reach for the stylus in months was to press the reset button on my TomTom unit. Give it a fucking rest, OK?

That's true. I had a Win Mobile 6 device and it didn't even have a stylus. Nice little thumbpad control for moving the cursor around and a half decent keyboard. Still ditched it after 2 months and got a G1, but that's because the software was crap. Point is, no stylus.

Paris, because she's got experience with syluses... errr, styly, errr, stylie... what is the plural of stylus?

Looks tacky and vulgar with its gold trim. The combination of Microsoft, Armani and Samsung can't produce something attractive?

Apple manage to design a nice looking phone without needing fashion designers.

You're completely right, honestly having had an Xperia running WM6.1, i've used the stylus minimally. The main times are when I write notes, which i can do with my finger but they're not that accurate. This is the same when I try and hand write on an iphone with my finger tip, why, because for the rest of my live i've used an implement such as a pen to write, so why not use a stylus when on a screen.

ANYWAY, its not the best admittedly, however I'd much rather have the sometimes difficult GUI than having the complete locked in and locked down world of the iphone.

Can I install any applications without having to get someone else to approve that I'm allowed to do so...... yes

Are there thousands of applications out there, which can all be found with that highly difficult 15 second google search rather than having to search through 15,000 fart applications to find what I want...... yes.

Can i customise how my phone software looks completely, again as I wish rather than as Apple tells me...... yes

And the best one, I can change the battery and add more storage rather than having to buy a completely new phone.

Also, please don't just respond with some irrelevant junk about 2 billion app downloads (1.9 billion of which regressed human intellect just that little bit further past the last fart app) or how the latest Iphone is quicker than anything else in the world.

It's alright.. for once there's a fashion phone that actually has a decent spec as a smartphone. But it's basically the same as the Omnia Pro B7610 which sells for around €450 SIM-free, this one is about €700.

Wanker-friendly branding fits WinMo somehow...

Turd attracts them.

I just need to break out the ol' HTC Kaiser and some electroplating kit (or spray paint) and I'll have something stylish? All I'd be missing is the Active Matrix OLED screen- it's even got the tilting screen.

I wish I hadn't given that HTC Hero contract-upgrade to my Dad as a birthday present... man, that was a fantastic phone.

Windows Mobile 6.5 still needs a stylus pen. Well, maybe you can hit the small icons (like the OK button at the top) with the corner of your fingernail instead. But for those with regular or large fingers, or short finger nails, a stylus pen is necessary for many functions that lie beyond the Windows Mobile start screen.

Most of the other mobile phone platforms, such as Android, iPhone, Palm's WebOS are much more finger friendly.

Amarni is the lipstick. Winows Mobile is the pig.

i wont be giving up my iPhone just yet - which brings me to another point - WHY with these current economic problems are they doing this???

i have not used any powered devices for the last 3 years and my life is much improved.

"....the sometimes difficult GUI......"

You can change that too. Give Spb Mobile Shell a whirl. Or you may find that someone's "cooked" ROMs for your device with HTC's "Manila" (aka TouchFlo) interface included if that floats your boat.

I reckon that people turning out different GUIs and tweaking the core O/S ROMs is what actually consitutes a developer community, not a bunch of app monkeys dancing to the Jobsian music.

Armani is the lipstick. Windows mobile is the pig

How very aptly put, apart from the spelling!

Re: nichomach

since when was windows an open platform?

I like Steampunk design but I just don't see this working.

I just don't associate Armani with Steampunk.

So, I am guessing that this is the thought process involved here, Apple charges $500 for their iPhone so we will make a deal with designer and pay him a an obscene amount of money for his label and then we will charge $1000 dollars for our phone which won't be as good but no one will care because it has Armani's name on it.

Yean, this sounds like more of Steve Ballmer's crazy deals.

Those insane deals he makes where he is trying to play catchup because he didn't anticipate the market and initially dismissed the idea as ludicrous.

This guy just can't adapt to modern culture under any condition.

I like Steampunk design but I just don't see this working.

I just don't associate Armani with Steampunk.

So, I am guessing that this is the thought process involved here, Apple charges $500 for their iPhone so we will make a deal with designer and pay him an obscene amount of money for his label and then we will charge $1000 dollars for our phone which won't be as good but no one will care because it has Armani's name on it.

Yeah, this sounds like more of Steve Ballmer's crazy deals.

Those insane deals he makes where he is trying to play catchup because he didn't anticipate the market and initially dismissed the idea as ludicrous.

This guy just can't adapt to modern culture under any condition.

okay, so 6.5 doesn't seem to be too bad - It's the first touch device I've used that I actually like - but double the price for some paint.... really?

Its like a Ferrari branded moped.

Silk purses and sow's ears come to mind. If Steve Ballmer wants to be associated with coolness, he needs to fill in a job application with Apple. It's never, ever going to happen to MS.

"Are there thousands of applications out there, which can all be found with that highly difficult 15 second google search rather than having to search through 15,000 fart applications to find what I want...... yes."

There are, what, 60 fart apps for the iPhone, out of a total of 85,000. That's less than 0.01%, but feel free to concentrate your regressed human intellect on that if it gives you a false sense of superiority.

... my ass.

It's an HTC Kaiser with a bling kit.

Not going back to a 4 row QWERTY after my 5-row touch pro.