Among ivory jewelry, Starbucks and Mercedes Benz cars, smartphones are also a typical status symbol favored by middle-class families in Asia. These things are quite accessible, with the right amount of money. But how do you prove that you are a cut above your peers? There’s no better way but to dip your phone in 24K gold, of course.
Vietnamese gold-plating shop Karalux are offering to gold-plate Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus devices to cater for the wealthiest citizens. For the price of $8M VND ($356 USD) customers can have their existing phones undergo a strenuous 10 step process in order to achieve the 24K gold exterior.
During the process, the sides of the phone, power and volume buttons, LED flash modules and the ridge around the camera are disassembled. The engineers then coat the parts in various precious metals where it will be dipped into a gold tank. The end result is a stunning and luxurious work of art.
According to Quang Tu, a chief engineer at Karalux, the product will provide superior protection compared to other materials, as well as providing a pleasing aesthetic to the phone.
“The frame material of Note 5 is more improved and quite different from other Notes and Galaxy S6. The frame is stronger with 7000 series aluminum. The alloy is 60% stronger than most aluminum and 1/3 the density of stainless steel. Many types of competition bicycles are now made of the material.”
To ensure that the gold surface isn’t simply scratched off, it is finished with a sustainable surface protection technology, the same stuff used on gold-plated Roll Royce’s. The Hanoi-based company also offers a standalone gold-plated phone for a cool 25M VND ($1113 USD), if you don’t happen to own the phone.
Source: Karalux via Yahoo News | Images via Karalux