(Credit:
Unwired View)
In these penny-pinching, market-tumbling times, we audaciously bring you the $4,400 Skeleton Gold Phone from Russian electronics maker Gresso. Yes, yes, that might sound like a lot to pay for a mobile phone, but 18-carat-gold function keys aren't going to pay for themselves, now are they?
Other features that keep the Windows-powered Skeleton Gold firmly planted in the luxury column are the hand-polished 42k sapphire glass framing the phone's screen and the sapphire glass back panel. The phone opts for additional high-end materials like titanium alloy, African Blackwood, and ceramic. Keys feature Roman numerals. Did we mention it's Bluetooth-enabled and has a 2-megapixel camera?!
Gresso previously brought us uber-luxurious gadgets including the White Diamonds Collection, which one-ups the Skeleton Gold Phone with diamond-topped gold keys and prices ranging from $14,000 to $52,000. Suddenly, the Skeleton Gold seems like a regular budget item.
It is a limited-edition model, however, with only 50 being made, according to the company. So if you're pondering this one, you might want to start sacrificing now.
In your face, recession.
Related stories:
Gresso takes another cut at diamonds
Gresso's new phone line takes the high road
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Gresso)
It's been a while since we'd heard from Gresso, the Russian phone maker that created a buzz back in 2006 with its unusual luxury handsets, followed by other interesting gadgets (and a clunker or two along the way).
Now it's back to doing what it does best--phones--with its new "White Diamonds Collection." There are two models in the line, with the superior of the pair--the "Royal White Diamonds" handset--regally bearing 23 keys of 18k gold topped with 2.53 carats of its eponymous stones, according to BornRich.
As with all Gresso phones, both models are made of titanium, sapphire crystal, African Blackwood, and other high-grade materials. But if you want the royal version, get ready to shell out $52,000. For the budget-conscious, however, the lesser model goes for only $14,000.
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Gresso)
It's hard to know what to make of Gresso these days. In the last year the purveyor of luxury gadgets has introduced some stunning products, whether they be mobile phones or MP3 players made of exotic materials.
But then it came out with some decidedly pedestrian-looking USB pendants that paled by comparison to its earlier offerings. And now we hear that the company is planning to distribute the flash-drive jewelry with Jennifer Lopez's latest album, titled "Brave."
That may not be the wisest choice for its debut, as Luxist notes, given the slump in J. Lo's record sales. It makes one wonder what kind of conditions were required for the deal as well.
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Adam&Eve)
For every yin there's a yang. Or something like that. All we know is that, just moments after gushing over the latest luxury MacBooks, we came across a design of another kind--and it's not a good thing. What's most disappointing about this "Adam&Eve" collection of fashion USB drives is that it comes from Gresso, a Russian company that we've followed for the last year because of its unique high-end designs in mobile phones and MP3 players.
Sadly, its USB "jewelry" doesn't compare to those beautiful items, even though the pendants are made with many of the same exterior materials, such as gold, diamonds and the company's signature African blackwood. In fact, they're reminiscent of a USB pendant made by Hong Kong-based Brando, the ultimate common-denominator manufacturer. Worse still, they top out at only 1GB of storage.
The USB jewelry business is a particularly tough gig to compete in, especially with such luxury goods peddlers as S.T. Dupont getting into the market with products costing thousands of dollars. Even so, Gresso made things even worse by stooping to using Swarovski crystals in its collection--a move that we see as the kiss of death.
(Credit:
Sybarites)
Given the infinite sales spiels in the communications market, it's rare for companies to come up with a unique marketing approach. But we have to give props to Gresso, in the category of creativity if nothing else, for pitching "the intellectual mobile phone."
We're not exactly sure what makes its new "Avantgarde Collection" appropriate for rocket scientists. Nor are we sure that would be such a good thing, for it would seem to run counter to the universal ease-of-use goal. But most curious of all is why Gresso would feel to the need to go this route at all.
This, after all, is a company that has come up with some of the most visually stunning products Crave has seen, whether they be handsets or MP3 players. Like its other offerings, the Avantgarde line is made of such high-grade materials as African Blackwood, titanium and sapphire crystal, according to Sybarites. The "Sol" model pictured here has a 2-megapixel camera and a keyboard made of gold.
We've yet to see a review of Gresso's phone performance--the company remains something of a mystery--but they're always a pleasure to view in an industry where ugly increasingly seems to be the norm.
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