Haute Handhelds
Now that cell phone manufacturers have mastered essential functionality, a range of prestige brands are pushing the limits of what the devices can offer.
Samsung Armani P520 $1,180 This thin, touch screen phone from Giorgio Armani and Samsung is just 11.5 mm thick. It comes with Giorgio Armani graphics, a 3-Megapixel camera that includes movies, and SOS function providing GPS location to preset receivers. Available in black only. www.armanisamsungphone.com (Launching in America late 2008)
"With everyone owning a cell phone these days, the novelty of the basic handset has run its course," an Austrian designer and jeweler who created an 18-karat-gold Apple iPhone, Peter Aloisson, said. Luxury brands such as Prada, Porsche, Bang & Olufsen, and Giorgio Armani are capitalizing on the craze, giving polish to the cellular phone market.
Scratch-free screens crafted from blemish-free sapphire crystals, diamond-encrusted handsets, and services such as access to flight updates for 75 airlines and local weather reports are just a few of the more recent features. Price tags can reach more than $8,000 for a top-of-the-line cellular that comes equipped with a global positioning system allowing your Top 5 friends to access your location, and round-the-clock concierge service for reservations, flight arrangements, or just locating that sold-out item you've been desperate to track down.
That said, American consumers are late to the trend. Flashy, eye-catching cell phones have been selling in the Russian and Chinese markets for more than five years. A decade ago, Nokia's head designer at the time, Frank Nuovo, sought to create a mobile phone specifically for the design-conscious customer with no shortage of disposable income. Mr. Nuovo, who has been described as the "Calvin Klein of cellular communication," helped in 2006 to introduce the Vertu series, a product line distributed by Nokia that boasts exclusive designs.
They may seem unneccesary, but what else are you going to put in your $15,000 Birkin bag? Not the latest free phone from Verizon, that's for sure.
