Solid gold phone is aimed at Russian elite

A DANISH DESIGN HOUSE is offering super rich Russian business persons a solid gold mobile phone.

The firm called Aesis is aiming the extravagant handset at Moscow's fashion-forward elite, according to Reuters. This might be a euphemism for other forms of business, like waste management for example, we can't say. But we can say that the phone is definitely one for those high on cash and flair.

The Æ+Y phone was three years in development but it is lacking some key features. It has no GPS, which we assume could make it less easy to trace, no camera, no internet and no email. It is 18 carat gold though.

At €42,000 it is definitely "not a play thing" according to company founder Thomas Jensen. It is also available in stainless steel for merely €7,250, and is a fashion accessory according to the firm.

"Moscow is becoming a booming contemporary art city. At first people here had only money but now they have style. Their spending is more intellectual and sophisticated," added Mathias Rajani, Aesir's chief commercial officer.

The solid gold phone looks a bit like a watch strap, and is described as being both blocky and streamlined by Reuters. The report adds that it was designed and built with the help of investment from the Lego family, which might explain that.

The handset is available SIM unlocked and works on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks. The gold version weighs 250g, the stainless steel model 210g, and both have bespoke ringtones and sounds composed by the Vietnamese-Danish "master of the upright bass" Chris Minh Doky, according to the specifications. µ