CAIRO: Technology appears to be heading the way of exorbitant, crazy and often outrageous. Luxor-Las Vegas has revealed plans to sell an “Egypt-inspired” mobile phone made from 18-carat gold with black diamonds that will cost the consumer $1 million. The major hotel and casino said its “Jackpot phone” has been designed by luxury phone designer Gresso and is crafted from 6.3 ounces of pure gold and will be lined with 45.5-carats of black diamonds. It also features a back panel made of 200-year-old African Blackwood. Opponents of the phone have said the use of the African tree is an “affront to the environment and shows that the US is lagging behind in terms of economy and sustainability.” Jason York, a Las Vegas-based sustainable architect said the use of the Blackwood “is like telling the world that we can do whatever we want in your ecosystems because it is good for business. It is embarrassing.” On top of the wood paneled back, each key is to be cut from a single hand-polished sapphire crystal. Luxor said the Jackpot — and a cheaper version without diamonds, which cost $20,000 — is expected to go on sale in August. High-end devices costing thousands of dollars have been increasingly developed in the last several years. In 2008, Vertu, the largest luxury phone maker, teamed up with French jewelry house Boucheron to create a gold phone, carved from a solid block, priced at $30,000. Fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Prada, and even Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer, have all released their own phones in an attempt to use their brand to add additional revenue streams. BM
