Samsung’s Diva fashion phone ships as O2 exclusive

Samsung may be trying to prove itself as a supplier of ‘serious’ smartphones, but it’s still following its old path of launching more frivolous handsets, targeting every market segment it can think of. In this case, fashion conscious young women, with the UK and Ireland launch of the Diva (aka S7070).

The phone will be an exclusive for O2 and Carphone Warehouse for a couple of months, and goes after one of their most keenly targeted user groups, females aged 15 to 25. For a midrange handset geared to budget conscious age ranges, the Diva got a high profile launch, in tandem with Samsung’s sponsorship of a modelling contest, Elite Model Look. This involved attendees getting the handsets together with goodie bags containing make-up and fashion subscriptions.

Samsung said this was the first phone it had shipped in Europe that directly targeted younger females. UK VP Mark Mitchinson said: "We know they want mobiles that are exceptionally stylish, but they also need the latest technology and practical features and our Samsung Diva won’t disappoint."

The product has a diamond shaped central button and a white embossed quilted rear cover, presumably meant to evoke Chanel. Its innards are more prosaic – a 3.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 2.8-inch touchscreen display, microSD card reader and FM radio. Like most handsets in its class, especially those for younger users, it is heavy on the preloaded social networking apps.

More unusual – and sometimes odd - features include several ‘modes’ geared to what Samsung apparently believes are common female behaviors. These include a fake call mode for personal security, an ‘Etiquette’ mode (actually silent mode), a beauty mode which allows the user to enhance the photos they take, and a ‘Lomo effect’ mode, which converts photos into "artistic looking snaps".

The 7070 is the first in a whole line-up of Diva phones, which will be released gradually through the year. Next up will be the Diva Folder (S5150), and along with the UK, early release markets will be the Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine, followed by other European countries, China and South East Asia. The Folder will add a wider range of image editing features, as well as personal security functions including ‘SOS Message’, and a hidden glittering LED screen, which illuminates to notify an incoming message or a call.

Other apparently girl-friendly features are “sensually designed fonts” and organizational features such as a ‘wishlist’ (for shopping, naturally).

Until March 10, the Diva will be available from O2 at a special price of £100 on pay-as-you-go, a reduction of £20. Contracts may be offered with the phone too, after the initial exclusive expires.