Ridiculous

Adding a new meaning to waste:


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Wednesday, November 19, 2008




Softbank Mobile Sells All 8 Y13mn Tiffany Phones In 3 Days

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Softbank Mobile Corp. sold all eight of the 12.98 million yen diamond-encrusted cell phones it created in collaboration with Tiffany & Co. within three days of putting them on sale on Nov. 1.

The 823SH Tiffany Model is a folding-type handset, whose front outer shell is a platinum panel made by Tiffany covered with 537 diamonds.

The users of the phones are eligible for Softbank's White Plan, which offers free calls between subscribers from 1 a.m. to 9 p.m. for a monthly fee of 980 yen. The payment method for the handsets will be subject to negotiation with the buyers, according to a company official.

Some of the Tiffany models are still on the production line, and will be handed over to the buyers as soon as completed.

A luxury handset was also introduced to the market by NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437) in June, but the phone, manufactured by LG Electronics Inc. in collaboration with Prada SpA, does not appear to have convinced consumers that it is worth the premium price. The handset initially carried a hefty price tag of about 100,000 yen despite lacking any jewelry.

As a result, "We were left with many unsold handsets," said an employee of a major home electronics retailer. Prada Phones are now offered for less than 90,000 yen in consumer electronics stores in Tokyo.

No other luxury phones have made it to the market yet. Vertu, a British manufacturer of high-end mobile phones, will open a flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district as early as the end of this year. The shop's priciest item is expected to sell for 3.7 million yen.

(The Nikkei Marketing Journal Monday edition)