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Giorgio Armani, Samsung unveil new luxury mobile phone as first product under new strategic alliance


Milan, 29 Oct 2007

Giorgio Armani, one of the world's leading fashion and lifestyle design companies, and Samsung Electronics, a leading producer of mobile phones and telecommunications systems, today unveiled the new Giorgio Armani-Samsung luxury mobile.

Giorgio Armani presented the new mobile phone at a press briefing in his Armani/Teatro in Milan before his Spring Summer 2008 Women's fashion show.

Designed by Giorgio Armani and realised by Samsung Electronics, the Giorgio Armani-Samsung mobile will meet the needs of those who aspire to own a technologically advanced and beautifully designed telephone with which to communicate and complete their lifestyle.

Through a new strategic alliance, starting with the Giorgio Armani-Samsung luxury mobile phone, the two companies plan to launch an innovative range of portable and home consumer electronics products under the Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani and Armani/Casa labels, founded on the combination of Giorgio Armani's iconic design aesthetic and Samsung's cutting-edge technology.

Giorgio Armani, President and Chief Executive Officer of Giorgio Armani, said: "Today, fashion has expanded to encompass our way of life, not just how we dress, but how we design our home, the hotels we stay in, the car we drive and the technology we buy.

"In fact, we make as much of a personal statement with the mobile phones that we carry or the televisions we have in our living rooms as we do with the shoes and bags we wear or the furnishings we chose to place in our homes. These are all lifestyle decisions, where design and performance are the criteria. Samsung has successfully anticipated the growing role for consumer electronics in our lives, while recognising the importance of self-expression in the development of its products."

Geesung Choi, President of Samsung Electronics, said: "Today's mobile phone manufacturers no longer just sell mobile phones, but sell more than the product itself - a slice of life and culture. We truly believe that our approach with Giorgio Armani is one step closer to our customers to enrich their lives with sophisticated style and cutting-edge technology."

He added: "This is a groundbreaking collaboration between one of world's most influential designers and an electronics leader. Samsung's innovative technology and Giorgio Armani's established iconic design philosophy are a perfect match, as exemplified by the state-of-the-art Giorgio Armani-Samsung mobile phone."

Giorgio Armani-Samsung mobile

For the first time, Giorgio Armani's signature elegance and simplicity is applied to mobile phone design. A large 2.6-inch QVGA TFT LCD screen maximises the user's visual experience and optimises the full touch-screen user interface (UI).

Along with the outer appearance of the phone, the graphical user interface (GUI) and audio user interface (AUI) also reflect Giorgio Armani's modern simplicity.

By adapting a haptical UI, users can feel an immediate mild vibration when they touch icons on the display. Being the size of a credit card and a mere 10.5mm in thickness, the Giorgio Armani-Samsung phone fits sensuously into a user's palm.

Despite its compactness, the phone is loaded with the latest powerful multimedia features. It is equipped with a 3-megapixel camera, a music player supporting various types of music formats and a full Internet browser. Furthermore, the Giorgio Armani-Samsung mobile offers a microSD type external memory slot and comes with a Bluetooth headset.

A specially designed Giorgio Armani leather carrying case is also included for protection.

The new mobile phone will be available at Giorgio Armani's flagship stores and selected mobile phone shops in major European countries from November 2007.

Giorgio Armani

The Armani Group is one of the leading fashion and luxury goods groups in the world today, with 4 900 direct employees and 13 factories. It designs, manufactures, distributes and retails fashion and lifestyle products, including apparel, accessories, eyewear, watches, jewellery, home furnishings, fragrances and cosmetics under a range of brand names: Giorgio Armani Priv'e, Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, AJ | Armani Jeans, A/X Armani Exchange, Armani Junior, Armani Baby and Armani Casa. The group's exclusive retail network currently comprises: 73 Giorgio Armani boutiques, 12 Armani Collezioni stores, 140 Emporio Armani stores, 115 A/X Armani Exchange stores, 18 AJ | Armani Jeans stores, seven Armani Junior stores, one Giorgio Armani Accessori, one Emporio Armani Accessori store and 25 Armani Casa stores in 46 countries. The Armani Group has also announced its intention to open a unique collection of luxury hotels and resorts in the world's most important cities and destinations.

Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies, with 2006 parent company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion. Employing approximately 138 000 people in over 124 offices in 56 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognised as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

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