Two-faced UpStage in Red

Competition must be getting tougher for mobile phone retailers now that the iPhone launch date is two weeks away. I spent some time with Samsung's Upstage phone at CES, and loved the dual face styling. I mean, who wouldn't want a slim phone the size of an iPod nano with a music player on one side, and phone on the other? It's definitely no iPhone competitor, but at $99 (with two-year contract) I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one, especially now that they will be available in a fashionable red shade.

Like the LG Chocolate, the hype surrounding the UpStage phone was quickly overshadowed by complaints regarding usability. Ben reviewed it back in April and thought the touch-sensitive controls were horrible, and the dual-screen design made the phone harder to use. Others complained about the lack of video playback, battery life, tiny phone display, and the extra headphone adapter.

Regardless of what critics say, the Samsung UpStage has claimed a few industry awards for its cool design. In a press release, Sprint says the UpStage has even exceeded sales expectations, and may continue to do so with the new color. Earlier this year, Samsung debuted Upstage handsets in white, blue, red and orange at CeBit 2007 in Germany, which could be a sign of colors to come.

Related: Hands-on Review: Samsung UpStage