(Credit:
Mobiado)
There are two things that have distinguished Mobiado among the many luxury phone makers of the world: First, it's from Canada; second, its handsets have avoided the type of excessive bling that others have so readily succumbed to in the desperate quest to draw attention to themselves.
But no one is immune to the pressures of competition, and Mobiado is taking some steps along this gilded path as well. The rather clinically named Professional 105 GCB features 24k-gold plating--right down to the screws and buttons, according to Unwired View--while its "Executive Model" is adding phones encased in ebony and cocobolo.
The internal specs are nothing to write home about, with a 2-inch display, 2-megapixel camera, 1GB of memory, Bluetooth, and an MP3 player. And of course, the body is made of its trademark aircraft-grade aluminum, though that seems more appropriate for its "Camo" model than anything else.
(Credit:
iCandyPhones)
Readers are always asking, justifiably so, who in their right minds would buy a gold or diamond-
studded gadget. (The operative phrase here is "right minds," of course.) But ours is not to question why.
What we do know, if this eBay auction is any indication, is that some people are willing to pay thousands of dollars for a 24k gold iPhone--presuming that the bids are authentic. The auction, tracked by Gizmodo, drew 69 bids and ended with a sale price of $6,000 last night.
The phone itself is unlocked and of the 16GB variety, apparently from an outfit appropriately dubbed iCandyPhones. The winner's handle wasn't disclosed, perhaps for fear of ridicule by his or her friends.
(Credit:
Lussorian)
Summer's almost here (at least that's what we keep telling ourselves), and that means it's finally time to take that pimp-mobile out of the garage. But if you're not the ATV type who would buy snakeskin tires, you'll need to find some other way to show off those wheels. One solution: 24k gold-plated alloys.
These 19-inch wheels would be the perfect complement to a $150,000 gear shift knob and other appropriately egregious accoutrements. And at just $6,000 each--or $23,960 for all four, according to Lussorian--they're a steal. Remember, you could be ponying up $2 million for a set of diamond Asantis.
(Credit:
Luxurylaunches)
It's hard to know where to begin in dismissing this telephonic atrocity. First, it's a prime example of the proliferating trend we refer to as luxury phones gone bad. As if that's not bad enough (and it is), this 24k "Signature Collection" handset from Alcatel is a special edition done for Sharper Image, which seems to be getting more tarnished all the time.
Making matters still worse, Luxurylaunches describes the specs as disappointing, with a "substandard 2-megapixel camera, flimsy keys, and small screen." Other than that, it's terrific. We were going to mention Alcatel's Playboy phone too, but now we're too depressed.
(Credit:
Sony Ericsson)
Sony Ericsson has been strutting its stuff in Vegas this week with some new designs, which is par for the course in Sin City. And its latest luxury handset would fit right in with the chorus line at the Bellagio.
The ostentatiously named "Precious Gold T650i" is outfitted with 24k plating to frame its 1.9-inch mineral-glass display, which complements a rose-tinted keypad. Luxurylaunches quotes a Sony Ericsson exec as saying the gaudy talker "evolved from a consumer's request for a mobile that was like a piece of her jewelry--glamorous, expensive and exquisite in quality."
Which, we assume, is a good reason not to widely publicize the price. We do know, however, that the Hilton-esque handset includes a 3.2-megapixel camera--perfect for capturing the requisite shots of you with Elvis impersonators.
(Credit:
Design Complex)
We've said it before, and we're happy to say it again and again: Swarovski crystals are for suckers. The only way to really customize a DS Lite, especially if you live in South Korea, is to add metallic accents in 24k gold.
A Korean outfit called Design Complex sells a kit with decals made of the precious metal or, for blingers on a budget, nickel. The stickers are designed specifically to detail the areas around the screen and buttons of the Nintendo handheld, according to Technabob, and an entire set goes for only $29. That's hundreds of dollars less than Paris Hilton's version, by the way, though you don't get the yap-dog.
(Credit:
Goldstriker)
How do you make a bricked iPhone stand out among all the paperweights on your desk? Easy, coat it in luscious gold.
That's exactly what Goldstriker is coming up with--a 24 carat gold plated 8GB iPhone, though it didn't say whether it will be locked by AT&T, upgraded with the latest software, or simply an iBrick. Not all things gold will get our attention, but with the amount of flak the iPhone has gotten lately, this could jolly well end up as a valid reason for current owners in Asia to turn their iPhone into a gold brick. Start saving the money.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Computer Choppers)
A couple of weeks ago we mentioned an outfit called Computer Choppers that will adorn your MacBook in 24k gold and, for an additional fee, a diamond-studded Apple logo. The company's site had only a few teaser shots at the time, but now they've done a full fashion shoot with a final product.
As gawdy as the whole idea may sound, you've got to view the finished work--inside and out--to make a final judgment. As we thought with the 18k gold Shuffle and the 24k iPod, there's something visually stunning about Midas-touched Apple products, perhaps because their minimalist designs allow treatments that are over the top on other wares. But see for yourself.
(Credit:
GeekSugar)
Just for the record, iPods aren't the only gadgets that can be covered in diamonds or dipped in gold. GeekSugar says Amosu, which gave us the gold iPod, has veered beyond Apple products and applied its 24k gilding brush to LG's Prada phone for just under $1,000.
It's not the first time that Amosu has branched out, of course, given that it's promised to customize just about anything for the right price (or the wrong one, depending on your point of view). But don't worry, it still has more than a little ways to go before catching up with the $1.3 million "Diamond Crypto Smartphone."
(Credit:
Amosu)
Et tu, iPod? Say it ain't so.
We've come to accept the electronics industry's penchant for taking perfectly decent products and making them disgustingly garish, especially where gold is involved. But the idealist in us naively thought the iPod would be immune to this unfortunate trend.
Yet there it is on Luxurylaunches, in all its 24k glory--and not just any gold, but "unique hardened mirror gold," whatever that means, from $600 to $800.
And who's responsible for this egregious blingdom? Why, Amosu, of course.
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