18 carat gold mobile phone sells at £37,000

The ultimate in bling? Gold mobile phone can be yours for a cool £37,000

By GRAHAM SMITH
Last updated at 2:54 PM on 1st April 2011

• Despite its high price tag, the Æ+Y isn't a smartphone

With mobile phones increasingly seen as status symbols, this is one handset the jetset won't want to be seen without.

The Æ+Y phone is made from 18 carat solid gold and costs a staggering 42,000 euros (£37,000 / $60,000).

But don't plan on throwing away your iPhone just yet.

Status symbol: The Æ+Y phone is made from 18 carat solid gold and costs a staggering 42,000 euros

Despite its exceedingly high price tag, the Æ+Y isn't a smartphone and so has no Internet access.

It was created with simplicity in mind by designer Yves Béhar, who decided to opt out of the technology race with the Æ+Y.

 

He said: 'In an age when the industry seems to think that phones aren't for speaking anymore, I wanted to focus on the idea of voice, clarity and simplicity.

'The Æ+Y champions the idea of craftmanship in an age that's obsessed with more and making last year's products obsolete.

'Instead, we propose better and long-lasting as our starting criteria.'

Slick: But, despite its exceedingly high price tag, the Æ+Y isn't a smartphone and so has no Internet access

More affordable? The stainless steel version retails for 7,250 euros

The limited edition device, from Copenhagen-based manufacturer Æsir, is currently available for pre-order and is expected to be released in Europe this summer, while customers in the U.S., Hong Kong and China will have to wait until the autumn.

Those of you on a budget may want to buy the stainless steel version which retails for a more modest 7,250 euros (£6,400 / $10,250) and is available to pre-order now.

The Æ+Y phone may seem ridiculously expensive, but it's a long way from being the most expensive mobile phone.

An iPhone 4 wrapped in 500 individual flawless cut diamonds totalling 100 carats last year sold for £5million ($8million / 5.7million euros).

British designer Stuart Hughes, 38, of Liverpool, was commissioned to make two of the bespoke handsets for a mega-rich Australian businessman.

Each one featured two interchangeable diamonds which fit over the 'home' button - a single cut 7.4 carat pink diamond and a rare 8 carat single cut flawless diamond which are together worth more than £4million.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1372311/The-ultimate-bling-Gold-mobile-phone-cool-37-000.html#ixzz1IHQA1UHe