Top 10 Most Expensive Mobile Phones

The mobile phone has evolved from its humble beginnings as a portable communication device into a much more complex and essential part of our lives. Now it keeps tab on our work schedules, up-to-date with all our social networks, let's us catch up with our favourite television shows and much more.

 

The list is becoming endless. But what if your schedule includes rubbing shoulders with the upper echelons of society and a simple HTC Wildfire just won’t cut it. Well that’s where this helpful list steps in.

 

10. Ulysse Nardin -The Chairman Diamond Edition- £83,000
With only 100 being produced this is a very rare phone indeed. The Swiss manufacturer Ulysse Nardin have created the understated Chairman Diamond Edition using subtle combinations of over 2,000 diamonds, 18-carat white gold as well as an eccentric self winding kinetic charge mechanism. Along with all this bling it also luckily has some redeemable smartphone features; 32GB storage, 3.2 inch touch screen and an Android OS. By far the cheapest of this top 10 it still verges on the ridiculous.

9. Sony Ericsson Black Diamond £162,000
Possibly the most normal looking out of the ten, but it would surprise many to find it is actually made out of ultra-exclusive materials such as titanium with polycarbonate. This is probably the surprise the Singaporean designer Jaren Goh was after when designing it. However if there had been a bit more spent on functionality rather than making it look visually pleasing they might have come out with better specifications than a 400MHz processor and 4 megapixel camera. As it stands this ultra expensive phone does seem like a bit more like an expensive paper weight in comparison to the technology being used today.

8. Vertu Signature Cobra- £167,567
Russian billionaires brand of choice Vertu are behind this garish design aided by the French jeweller Boucheron. It is peppered with shiny objects; one pear cut diamond, one round white diamond, two emerald eyes and 439 rubies. This is one of only eight handsets produced so if you are one of the (unlucky) few to own one you are part of an exclusive club.

7. Goldvish le Million 7 - £640,000
Created in Geneva using 18-carat white gold as well as numerous diamonds, the Golvish le Million has featured in the Guinness Book of World Records and was considered for a time as the most expensive mobile phone. It's safe to say that this is a genuinely beautiful phone to look at. However that is probably all you would do with it as the specs are what they are: 2-megapixel camera and no 3G capability. This is another unfortunate paperweight. The tech gods it seems does not give with both hands.

6. Gresso Luxor Las Vegas Jackpot- £641,000
Combining all the treasures of ancient Egypt and the Aesthetics of modern Las Vegas was the idea proposed by Gresso. This translated into using lots of gold, diamonds and (unconventionally for a phone) wood. The back panel of the handset comes from a 200 year old African Blackwood, 45.5K of black diamonds and 17 laser etched sapphires all feature in the gold handset. Truly one of the most regal looking phones of the bunch.

5. Diamond Crypto Smartphone £834,000
An evolution of the Swiss Crypto smartphone, which for a brief period held the mantel of most expensive mobile. Made from platinum and with a navigation key made of 18-carat rose gold, encrusted with 28 round cut diamonds it is well worth its price tag for the handset alone. However with a Windows CE operating system it will struggle to keep up in the current information-rich climate.

4. Peter Aloisson iPhone 3G Kings Button - £1.5 million
Coming in at almost twice the value of the Diamond Crypto is this iPhone, created by Austrian-based Aloisson. The phone is made out of solid 18-carat yellow, white and rose gold all encrusted with 138 dazzling cut diamonds. This all accentuates the 6.6 carat diamond acting as the home button which apparently carries “rare beauty with history”. The first of four iPhones that made it into the list and also the cheapest.

3. Goldstriker iPhone 3GS Supreme- £1.9 million
From the luxury goods specialists Goldstriker International and commissioned by an anonymous Australian gold mining magnate, this iPhone 3GS contains 271g of 22 carat solid gold, a 7.1 carat single cut diamond for navigation and 136 flawless colour F diamonds. Truly a luxury phone but is there really much separating it from the rest of the high end iPhones cluttering the top of this list?

2. Stuart Hughes iPhone 4 Diamond Rose- £5 million
At two is a single cut 7.4-carat pink diamond is the centre piece navigation button of this creation from the UK’s Stuart Hughes. 500 individual 100-carat diamonds cover the sides of the 32GB handset with a rose gold Apple logo covered in 53 additional diamonds. There is inconclusive evidence as to whether the diamonds improve reception more than a rubber case.

1. Stuart Hughes iPhone 4S Elite Gold- £6 million
Topping this list of extravagant mobiles, and proving that he's king of mobile bling, is yet another iPhone from Stuart Hughes but a 4S this time. Quite a similar layout of diamonds around the side and back, this handset is encased in 24 carat gold with the navigation button having 2 options a 2.6 carat solitaire surrounded by smaller diamonds or a 7.4 carat single cut pink diamond. You may as well ask Siri which one looks better as they are both as excessive as the next.

If you found this interesting you might also like our Evolution of the Mobile Phone infographic.

Why not check out more down-to-earth mobile phone deals at linerentals.