Whether you call it a cellular phone, hand phone, mobile phone or smart phone, can you just imagine a world without it? It has become a standard part of our life. And it has actually become more than just a telephone. It is also used for instant text messaging, as a music player, camera, and for browsing through the net. A lot of other gadgets have become obsolete because of it. Because of advances in mobile phone technology, no one uses payphones anymore. MP3 music players are also slowly going out of style, as smart phones have proven more than reliable in serving as replacement.
Even cameras may soon see a decline in usage. This early, creators of point and shoot cameras are announcing the rapid decrease in sales and profits because of the advent of new phones. The mobile phones have the advantage of having the pictures taken with it immediately uploaded to the user’s social media accounts. As a result, camera makers are scrambling to include similar technology in their gadgets. As of now, digital single lens reflex cameras seem to be safe. It won’t come as a surprise, however, if mobile phones eventually replace them as well.
Mobile phones have actually been around since 1946, though the first call from a hand held mobile phone was only made in 1973. The first automated cellular network was launched in Japan in 1979. By 1983, development of the mobile was in full swing with the launching of the DynaTac on a 1G network. Second generation technology was established in 1991, with the third generation being launched ten years later. The introduction of applications, like streaming media, has overwhelmed 3G, however. Fourth generation technology that promises improvement in speed of up to ten times that of 3G have since been introduced.
It is clear that mobile phones are important to us. A lot of us consider them to be an integral part of our lives, so much so that we feel naked and helpless without them.
But how dear and expensive can they get?
Here are the top ten most expensive mobile phones.
1. Stuart Hughes’ iPhone Diamond Rose Edition – $8 million
it has all the features of the iPhone that we all love, only it is also studded with flawless diamonds that weigh 100 carats. The presence of 53 diamonds encrusted on top of it also enhances the iconic Apple logo. As if those are not enough, a rare 7.4 carat pink diamond serves as the home button of the phone.
2. Stuart Hughes’ Goldstriker iPhone 3G Supreme – $3.2 million
Stuart Hughes also created this iPhone that is made of solid gold. He and his design partner Jo Emma Larvin are the people behind Goldstriker. Their idea is to create products in which luxury can be combined with technology. This phone also has more than 200 diamonds in it. The phone’s panel at the back has 53 gems encrusted into it, while the home button is covered with a diamond weighing 7.1 carats.
3. Peter Alloison’s Kings Button iPhone – $2.4 million
Peter Alloison is a renowned designer of jewelries from Austria. There are 138 diamonds encrusted into the body of this phone. There is also a 6.6 carat white diamond on the home button, which enhances the class of the phone.
4. JSC Ancort’s Diamond Crypto Smart Phone – $1.3 million
JSC Ancort is a Russian company that developed a smart phone based on Windows CE. It is encrusted with 50 diamonds, including 10 that are blue. It is called Crypto because of it employs a powerful encryption technology. It supposedly gives protection against kidnapping and technological blackmail. Peter Alloison was the designer of this phone.
5. Goldvish’s Le Million – $1.2 million
Goldvish is a Swiss manufacturer of top of the line and premium luxury cellular phones. The company prides itself in applying Swiss craftsmanship to high-end technology. It is the creator of the Le Million, which has a guaranteed limited production of only three units. The phone is made of solid gold and is studded with diamonds.
6. Gresso Luxor Las Vegas Jackpot – $1 million
Gresso is a manufacturer of luxury communication gadgets. It was established in 2005 in Switzerland. Only three units of this phone were ever made. Its frame is made of solid gold weighing 180 grams. The panel at the back is made of African backwood that is more than 200 years old. This wood is the most expensive in the world. There are also black diamonds encrusted on the phone weighing 45.5 carats. To top it off, the keys are made of sapphire crystal specially hand-polished by the manufacturer.
7. Vertu Signature Cobra – $310,000
The French jeweler called Boucheron created this phone. Only eight units have been made, making the phone a true limited edition. It features a couple of diamonds, dual emeralds, and 439 rubies that are encrusted to make it look like a cobra.
8. Sony Ericsson Black Diamond – $300,000
Jaren Goh, an industrial designer from Singapore, created this stylish concept for Sony Ericsson. It features a polycarbonate mirror finish, mirror detailing and organic light emitting diode technology. This feature makes the screen look borderless, thus providing a sleek and neat appearance.
9. Peter Alloison’s Nokia Arte – $134,000
The features of a Nokia Arte are top of the line already, with its 3.15 megapixel autofocus camera, video recorder, music player and Bluetooth technology. Peter Alloison enhanced it further by encrusting 680 pink and white diamonds. The phone itself is made of solid white gold weighing 18 carats.
10. Ulysse Nardin’s The Chairman – $49,500
Ulysse Nardin is a Swiss watch manufacturer that has been around since 1846. The company set off to design an Android smartphone, taking its sophisticated design principles along with them. The phone features both a physical number pad and a touch screen. Volume controls are designed like the buttons of an expensive watch. A unique feature is the crown between the volume controls that can actually be wind to help generate power for the phone. I believe this is available in India.
