Softbank's Y13 mil diamond cell phones sell out in three days

Saturday 08th November, 07:49 AM JST

TOKYO —

Recession may be looming large in Japan, but there are still some people willing to splash out on diamond-encrusted cell phones. Softbank Mobile said Friday that its eight limited-edition phones, each studded with 537 diamonds from Tiffany and Co, sold out in just three days.

The phone, designed by the luxury New York jeweler, went on sale for about 13 million yen each on Nov 1.

“All eight were sold by Nov 3,” said Softbank spokesman Katsuhide Furuya. “I guess the buyers found them worthwhile.”

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 30 Total Comments Show All

namabiru4me at 11:54 AM JST - 8th November

buy a keitai strap and it can become a necklace!!!
555Book at 01:11 PM JST - 8th November

That is more expensive than my house and car put together.
Sarge at 01:17 PM JST - 8th November

"13 million yen ( for a cell phone )"

Something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. ( I seem to remember posting this before... )

555Book - Your house and your car together are worth less than 13 million yen? Are you living in a shack and driving a piece of junk or what?
linro at 02:49 PM JST - 8th November

There will be 8 people sweating in the future when they have to send them in for repairs!!! and hope the reception is as clear as the diamonds, hello! hello! hello!
rivx at 04:01 PM JST - 8th November

Now now....why so bitter. There are people who can afford these new toys.
ScottishThug at 04:01 PM JST - 8th November

8 hostess gifts.
555Book at 07:17 PM JST - 8th November

No Sarge, I don't live in Japan, 13 million yen can buy you a very nice house in my country, something like 4000 sq ft. of built up area and fully furnished.
romulus3 at 08:40 PM JST - 8th November

or are rather week in the brain section

tee hehe hehe hehe
romulus3 at 08:43 PM JST - 8th November

Imagine the chicks you could pull in Japan if you answered a call with that thing...mind you an old dirty Adidas shoe phone would be just as good in some cases.
isthistheend at 09:18 PM JST - 8th November

Nobody has mentioned the obvious. I'd be willing to wager (not 13 M mind you) that all 8 of these phones will mysteriously disappear within 6 months, gobbled up, stolen, or beaten from their owners after they whip it out in public to answer the phone (what kind of music tone?) to impress their colleagues.
Samuraiiki at 11:01 PM JST - 8th November

Diamonds are forever, cell phones are not.-007
30061015 at 01:01 AM JST - 9th November

With my new gold phone, I can to order gold 2009 calendars for the whole world for Christmas!
cwhite at 04:09 AM JST - 9th November

I bought 7 of them, some other dude beat me to the first 1.

Diamonds are worthless anyway and not near as rare as BeBeers makes them out to be. I remember seeing a heap of diamonds at one of their storage facilities about 2 meters high piled up like some garbage dump.
linro at 10:46 AM JST - 9th November

Oh and the eight proud people of the phones PLEASE do have an argument with your Boyfriend/Girlfriend near the sea or some lake!!!!
Altria at 10:53 AM JST - 10th November

I could whip up one of those with a bit of gold paint and a sheet of gyaru nail decorations.