Top 10 deluxe smartphones in the world in 2013

(China.org.cn)

09:54, June 29, 2013

The smartphone, one of modern society's most important communication tools, controls the lives of seven billion people for most of the day. When it comes to luxury gadgets, however, the phones prove to be far more than just useful.

Various kinds of rare materials and precious metals can be used to embellish the phones, including diamond, gold and aeronautical and surgery materials. For those who can afford it, the use of these materials turns a mere phone into an elegant work of art rather than just another communication tool.

For most Chinese, buying a phone of nearly 5,000 yuan (US$813) is definitely a luxury. The ten following smartphones are far removed from the wallets of ordinary people. Nevertheless, they still make for a nice view.

Lamborghini: TL700

Price: US$2,758 (16,953 yuan)

Lamborghini, one of the most famous luxury car manufacturers, is also well-known for its luxury smartphones. Its latest smartphone, the TL700, features a sapphire crystal 3.7-inch WVGA display and a Qualcomm processor. Its body is made of metal and crocodile skin, with sapphire glass protecting the display. The design took on the style of Lamborghini car, featuring a dynamic and angular style, which befits the more fashionable buyer.

HTC: Gold HTC One

Price: ￡1,895 to ￡2095.00 (18,000 to 20,000 yuan)

When it comes to cell phones, HTC is definitely one of the best brands in the world. This particular design is plated with 24-carat gold, rose gold or platinum by Goldgenie, a luxury company specialized in gold plating and customizing. The functions of the gold HTC are the same as those found on the brand's standard editions, including a 4.7-inch 1080p display, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 and UltraPixel camera.

Mobiado

Price: US$3,000 to US$4,000 (18,441 to 24,588 yuan)

Founded in 2003, Mobiado is a Canadian manufacturer of luxury mobile phones. Its touch screen handset published in August 2011 proved to be a huge success. It has two types: Grand touch and grand touch GCB. The phone without the sapphire inlayed corners costs US$3,000; the price rises to US$4,000 when adorned with sapphire. Its latest One-77 is inspired by the Aston Martin One-77 supercar and features only 77 such smartphones in the world. It is built in both 24-karat gold and rhodium and it installed a watch that can get access to 2 times zones simultaneously, showing a perfect combination of cell phone and watch.

HANMAC: Range

Price: US$5,000 (30,735 yuan)

Although the brand name doesn't ring a bell with many Chinese, it is one of the most famous luxury mobile phone brands in the world due to the outstanding quality as well as excellent performance. The body is made of fuselage aerospace grade titanium metal, featuring high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance and high hardness. It is also equipped with five million pixel high-definition autofocus and a 2.2-inch sapphire crystal screen, ensuring you the perfect visual experience.

Tag Heuer Link

Price: US$6,700 (41,185 yuan)

The Tag Heuer Link with Android 2.2 Froyo is a Swiss-engineered and French-built superb luxury phone featuring all of first-rate functions, including a five-megapixel camera with autofocus and a 3.5-inch screen. In addition, the phone's design combines elegance with prestigious materials such as 18-carat rose gold/titanium, leather finishing and diamonds, making it a suitable option for the business elite.

Vertu: Constellation T

Price: US$5,600 to US$13,800 (34,423 to 84,828 yuan)

Luxury smartphone maker Vertu issued the Constellation T, a very popular luxury phone due to its superb quality as well as elegant design. It features a 3.5-inch HD sapphire crystal AMOLED screen and an eight-megapixel camera with ruby shutter key, providing the perfect visual enjoyment. Its unique hifi sound system and stainless steel, which is used in surgical toolkits, also add a lot of charm.

BlackBerry: Q10

Price: ￡20,000 (189,928 yuan)

Blackberry has been one of the favorites with the business elite due to its high security levels, convenient QWERTY keyboard and email notification service. Designer Alexander Amosu has released a luxury version, made up of 18-carat white gold and encrusted with a total of approximately 4.7 carats. It comes at ￡20,000 (189,928 yuan) and is available in limited edition. Goldgenie has also released a 24-carat gold and rose gold version. It comes at "only" ￡1,627 (15,408 yuan), which is more ideal compared with the former.

Ulysse Nardin: Chairman Diamond Edition

Price: US$13,000 up to US$50,000 (79,911 to 307,350 yuan)

Chairman is definitely one of the most expensive smartphones in the world and features 11 variants. With 18-carat white gold and more than 2,000 handset brilliant-cut diamonds, it shows us what exactly is luxury and elegance. The inner materials and quality are also superb, featuring a 3.2- inch scratch-resistant sapphire touchscreen, eight-megapixel camera, thumb print recognition and 3G capabilities.

iPhone 5 Superstar series

Price of Superstar: ￡48,000 (455,083 yuan)

Price of Superstar Ice: ￡68,000 (645,755 yuan)

Iphone, one of the most popular cell phones in the world, has released its luxury version. In April of 2013, Stuart Hughes, a famous British luxury designer, was commissioned to create the US$15 million Black Diamond iPhone 5 for a Hong Kong businessman, making it the most expensive smartphone in the world. The price of the Goldgenie-released iPhone 5 Superstar series is relatively customer-friendly. It consists of two types: Gold Superstar with 200g of 18-carat gold and the Gold Superstar Ice, which 364 diamonds (5.5 carats in total).

Dior Phone

Price in 2012: US$131,316 (807,199 yuan)

Dior, one of the most famous French luxury brands in the world, focuses on clothing, fragrances and accessories for both men and women. Its cell phones, just like its clothing, feature the classic geometric Dior logo. The design of its new Dior Phone includes various luxurious materials such as sapphire crystal, diamond, steel, gold and mother-of-pearl. Additionally, the on/off button is made of diamond. Although the phone's price tag for 2013 is yet to be released, it will surely be shockingly high due to its elegant design and amazing materials suiting the temperament of the elite.

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