RECENT piece that I wrote for the November Fashion supplement of the Manila Bulletin:TOUCH AND GO
Stylish smartphones for the holidays
By EDWIN P. SALLAN
IF you’re the type who knows what works well with what, from the clothes you’re wearing to related accessories like bag and heels or watch and shoe add-ons, then that fashion philosophy should also transcend to your mobile phone preference.
And now that touchscreen smartphones have been all the rage as of late, you also want something a stylish handset that doesn’t compromise functionality—a user experience that’s more than just skin deep.
Well, you can’t go wrong with the following holiday offerings that provides a healthy balance of both form and substance. Some of them even include a hidden keypad (or keyboard in the case of one) for those who still aren’t touchscreen savvy.
Samsung Ultra Touch. Sleek and elegant, it has an ultra-slim body encased in a stylish duralumin frame and a smooth and silky back design. The look is distinctive with a 2.8-inch full touch scratch-resistant screen and yes, a hidden keypad. With a 8 megapixel camera and GPS feature, it’s certainly more than just a pretty face.
Sony Ericsson Satio. Comes in black, silver and the must-have Bordeaux (think red wine) variants, the recently launched Satio is a no-nonsense phone with plenty of bells and whistles (i.e. 3.5 inch widescreen, 12.1MP sliding camera, HD gaming) and an eye-catching design that resembles most digital cameras with touch sensitive screens.
HTC Magic. Available in both sapphire and black variants, this Android-powered device is actually a more stylish version of previous HTC phones with a 3.2-inch touchscreen and a trackball for better navigation. A nice touch is the silver-colored plastic band that surrounds its polished plastic frame.
LG GD900 Crystal. Instead of the usual touchscreen, what you get is the transparent and illuminated Crystal Touchpad that’s made of durable tempered glass and Liquidmetal frame. The GD900’s cool Touchpad can also be used for navigating the phone. Oh, and it also recognizes handwriting and responds to multi-touch commands. Cool.
Nokia N97 Mini. Smaller and lighter than the original N97, it also improves on the plastic battery cover of its elder brother by replacing it with a metal cover. It also has a glossy front surface and a 3.2-inch display. Despite its size, the Nokia N97 Mini still retains the best features of N97 (yes, even that big, sliding QWERTY keyboard) in a rather compact and more stylish frame.
Apple iPhone 3GS. Doesn’t look much different from the iPhone 3G that preceded it. However, the new build has a smudge-proof coating that makes it easy to wipe off fingerprints and its new screen actually has an ultra smooth glide feel to it. And since this is an iPhone, there are lots of apps, accessories and covers out there to make it work and look even better.
Watch this Apple iPhone 3GS ad:
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