Like many high-end items such as Mont Blanc pens, Cartier spectacles and Omega watches that are purchased more for their brand value, exclusive mobile phones are also coveted for their exceptionality. There are people who have the money to willingly spend on expensive items to flaunt their prestige and wealth. Likewise, expensive mobile phones are desired for their uniqueness and classy, up-market look.
Following is a list of the priciest, bejeweled mobile phones that only the incredibly rich can afford.
Ulysse Nardin Chairman 2
The Chairman is advertised as the “world’s first luxury hybrid smartphone”. All the 300 handmade parts of the smartphone have been made from the finest materials: 18 karat rose gold cases, anodized aerospace grade aluminum alloy, sapphire crystal, 22 karat gold rotors, marine grade stainless steel, carbon fiber, and rhodium-plated components. Each piece comes assembled by hand.
Ulysse Nardin, a name dedicated to luxury design, has created The Chairman in its sophisticated style. The smartphone is embedded with the brand’s iconography, the identifiable Ulysse Nardin anchor logo is found on all five colored versions of the phone. Additionally, a sapphire crystal and the brand’s recognizable mechanical watch rotor is evident on the phone’s rear. There is a hand-wound crown between two volume controls. The rotor produces kinetic energy in a manner similar to a wristwatch. Both the rotor and the crown fulfill The Chairman’s energy need.
For its technical specifications, it is equipped with an 8 megapixel camera, a Freescale i.MX processor, 32 GB of internal memory and high-def screen.
Only 1846 pieces of each Chairman model are purchasable in honor of Ulysse Nardin’s founding year.
Cost: $12,800 to $49,500
Nokia 8800 Arte with pink diamonds
Quite easily, it may be considered the most sparkling phone in history. Austrian designer Peter Aloisson created the Nokia 8800 Arte by attaching 680 pink and white brilliant diamonds to a frame of 18 carats white gold. Due to the embellishments, the phone has a colorful, trendy appeal any Fashionista can appreciate. The design is relatively simple, but emits enough of a spark so as to be stunning.
Integrated into the phone’s system is a 2 inch scratch-resistant display, a 3.15 megapixel camera, in-built music player, 3G connectivity (only UMTS 2100), Bluetooth 2.0, micro-USB, voice memo and 1GB memory.
Cost: $134,000
Peter Aloisson’s iPhone Princess Plus
Austrian designer and jeweler Peter Aloisson created this stylish iPhone, decorated artistically with diamonds. He named the phone after the diamond cut used to shape 138 of the 318 diamonds that adorn its surface. The remaining 180 diamonds have glittering forms. At least 17.75 carats of diamonds edge the body made of 18k white gold, giving it a shimmering frame. Good quality diamonds and materials have been used. Consequently, the phone is regarded as one of the world’s most expensive iPhones.
The iPhone ha s a very striking design, a mixture of sleek and hip. Its features are also top-notch: a large, high-def display, 2 Megapixels camera, video playback, audio playback, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, internal antenna connector, USB 2.0 and mobile data transfer technologies.
Cost: $176,400
Sony Ericsson Black Diamond
Black Diamond is praised for its polished appearance that many define as dashing. Designed by Jaren Goh, it is a refined masterpiece for its silver and dark color combination as well as its curvilinear anatomy. Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0, other aspects are a 2-inch display, Bluetooth, 400MHz XScale processor, an SD memory card slot, Wi-Fi, 128MB memory and a touch-sensitive keypad. Buyers can also avail of the 2Gb SD card for external storage and a 4 Megapixel camera.
According to company, only 5 units are made available per year. The price is the sum total of the phone’s inherent state-of-the-art technology. Specialized OLED technology is responsible for the titane and polycarbonate skin that ensures the phone is perfectly curvaceous. A mirror finish and a splatter of diamonds completes the phone’s smooth, futuristic appearance.
Cost: $300,000
Goldstriker iPhone 4G Diamond Edition
Stuart Hughes of Goldstriker International ornamented the iPhone 4G Diamond Edition with attention to statement detailing. Though the face is simple in grey tones and flat surface, it just makes the diamond more prominent. The phone’s surrounding metal band has been treated to a spectacular array of diamonds, 6.5 carats of VVS diamonds to be exact. Even the Apple’s iconic logo has been redone into an expensive symbol of wealth in platinum and diamonds. The iPhone has 32 GB memory with a factory unlocked feature so it can function irrespective of your wireless carrier. The company states that only 50 pieces will be manufactured for the general public. Its limited availability increases its status meaning.
Cost: $19,460
The Diamond Crypto Smartphone
Peter Aloisson infused his skills as a diamond encruster into the diamond-festooned phone. The opulent smartphone is gifted with a platinum body, beauty heightened with the introduction of 50 radiant diamonds, including eight rare blue ones. The Ancort logo and the navigation key made of 18k rose gold add scrumptiously to its aesthetic excellence. The design is elegant and the diamond arrangement intensifies its grandiose appeal. Unlike other expensive phones, this one carries traces of wood. The side segments and reverse part of the phone are constructed from macassar ebony. The wooden section can be customized according to a client’s preference. Keypad is completely hand-created and made from solid platinum.
It comes equipped with the expected high-tech features: high-resolution color TFT display, a 256 bit cryptographic algorithm in addition to SMS, MMS, E-mail and Internet capability. Also, WAP and JAVA support.
Cost: $1.3 million
GoldVish ‘Le Million’ Piece Unique
The phone has the backing of the Guinness World Records as it certified GoldVish SA’s ‘Le Million’ Piece Unique as the most expensive cell phone. The phone, which is an addition to the Illusion Collection, is the brainchild of Emmanuel Gueit. 18k white gold went into shaping the body before 20 carats of VVS1 (minimally flawed) diamonds enhanced it luster and richness.
The phone has all the normal functions of a high-tech device; Bluetooth, 2 GB storage and a digital camera. The phone is so exclusive that it has to be special ordered.
Cost: $1.3 million