Giorgio Armani's new mobile

Reuters

The new Armani mobile phone.

Relevant offers

Gadgets

Review: Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer Review: Acer Aspire S3 Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S 3D printing: saviour or piracy tool? Apple in talks on iTV Get ready for the Apple ... Treadmill? What's USB 3.0? Review: Dell XPS 14z notebook Robots bring beer but Rosie still takes cake Duck for cover, here comes the laser-guided bullet

Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani has unveiled a new 700-euro (NZ$1400) mobile phone, a stylish device aimed at complementing the designer's suits.

Founding designer Giorgio Armani, widely regarded as the doyen of Italian fashion, made a brief public appearance at the launch of the Armani-Samsung smartphone, which also has the new Microsoft software for mobiles.

Micorsoft introduced Windows Mobile 6.5 this week, which allows phones to play music, open Word and Excel documents and be synchronized over the internet.

The sleek phone has both a touch screen and a key pad. It also includes a video player and GPS navigation, as well as bronze detailing "which coordinates perfectly with Giorgio Armani suits," according to a statement.

Armani, 75, did not speak at the presentation, only posing for photographs, but said in the statement he sought to create a phone "perfect for today's managers."

Armani, who suffered a bout of hepatitis this year, announced three senior management changes in late September, signaling an easing of his workload.

Armani, known for his classically elegant lines and muted colours in clothes, said last month he was reshuffling his agenda to take better care of himself after the illness.

The smartphone is the third phone Armani has designed for South Korea's Samsung Electronics.

Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, wearing a tie signed by Armani, said the phone was "a statement of style" and his company was not looking to work with other designers, adding this partnership with Samsung and Armani was "a unique thing."

- Reuters