Plugged:
- The thin, light body is superb: one of the few phones in recent years that doesn’t shy away from comparisons to an iPhone.
- The black-and-white design user interface won’t please everyone but we think it’s bellisima—and your app icons can be adjusted to monochrome, too.
- The bright NOVA touch screen is sensitive, reactive and large enough for two-thumb typing in Thai.
- Battery life lasts until the end of the day even when used intensively—unlike the iPhone.
Bugged:
- The 8MP can’t compare to the iPhone 4s camera. Shutter is slow, noise high, white balance sometimes off. And the iPhone 4s has better resolution.
- There’s an annoying lag between pages and when applications are running. Apparently, the dual-core processor is struggling to keep up.
- The plastic back cover featuring Prada’s Saffiano pattern would have been so much more fabulous in leather.
Verdict:
Even without a Prada logo (it has two actually; one in the front and one at the back), this would be one of the best Android 2.3 phones on the market. It can definitely hold its own when compared to a Samsung Galaxy S II. What about compared to the iPhone? Photographers addicted to Instagram should stick to Apple, but those of us who are both geeks, want to stand out from the Cupertino clones and want a bit of Italian class in our pockets won’t look back.
B19,900. 4.3-inch NOVA screen, 8MP camera with 1.3MP front camera, 4G compatibility, HD video, FM radio, Android 2.3. www.pradaphonebylg3.com
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Plane: Boeing 777-300
Seat plan: 2-4-2
Features: adjustable head, leg and foot rests, power port
Available routes from Bangkok: Paris & Amsterdam
What’s special: We love the French design: there’s a separate shell for each seat, so nobody is tilting their seat onto you.
Plane: Boeing 744/777
Seat plan: 2-4-2
Features: adjustable head, leg and foot rests, power port
Available route from Bangkok: London
What’s special: BA was the first airline to introduce Premium Eco in 2000. Its new revamped World Traveller Plus Class looks even classier but it’s not yet available on flights from Bangkok.
Plane: Boeing 777/747-400
Seat plan: 2-4-2
Features: adjustable head, leg and foot rests, power port
Available routes from Bangkok: Taipei, London, Amsterdam
What’s special: EVA’s Elite Class boasts some of the widest seats, biggest recline angle, special meals and an overnight kit. Best of all, it’s also only 20-30% more expensive than eco.
Plane: Boeing 777-300
Seat plan: 2-4-2
Features: adjustable leg and foot rests, universal power port
Available route from Bangkok: Tokyo
What’s special: The JAL Skyshell Seat is completely isolated from the the passenger behind, even when titled, earning it a nod from the Good Design Awards in 2008. Too bad it costs nearly three times as much as eco.
Plane: Boeing 474 / Airbus A380
Seat plan: 2-3-2 on A380, 2-4-2 on 747
Features: adjustable head, leg and foot rests, power port
Available route from Bangkok: Sydney
What’s special: Designed by famous designer Marc Newson, Qantas’s Premium Economy has been ranked No. 1 in Skytrax World’s Ten Best Premium Economy Class Seats for a couple of years. The pricing, though, is way up there with Turkish and JAL.
Plane: Airbus A330/340
Seat plan: 2-3-2
Features: adjustable head, leg and foot rests, universal power port
Available routes from Bangkok: Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm
What’s special: Not only do you get more legroom and a more ergonomic seat, SAS’s Economy Extra also gets you Business Class benefits that include priority check-in and upgraded meals.
Plane: Airbus A340-500
Seat plan: 2-3-2
Features: adjustable leg rest, universal power port
Available route from Bangkok: Los Angeles
What’s special: Finally, THAI doesn’t lose face this time. Its Premium Economy features some of the widest seats and greatest legroom. Throw in “smooth as silk” service, one of the lowest price premiums compared to regular eco, and the extra miles earned, and you’d have a winner if only it existed on more routes.
Plane: Boeing 777
Seat plan: 2-3-2
Features: adjustable leg and foot rest, power port, access to foot massage apparatus
Available route from Bangkok: Istanbul
What’s special: Turkish’s Comfor Class seats offer the greatest amount of legroom in our roundup. And with everything tucked in the armrest, your screen doesn’t move when the passenger in front reclines. The price, though, is more business than eco.
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