Motorola debuts luxury mobile with circular display

Motorola has introduced the first luxury circular display mobile phone – AURA, which will be available in the UAE and Saudi Arabia by mid-December 2008.

The phone’s design has been inspired by hand-crafted luxury watches, with more than 200 parts that work just to slide open the handset. One of the most striking features however is the 62-carat sapphire crystal lens that caps the phone’s 16 million color circular display.

“The Middle East is witnessing a growing demand for exclusive luxury products and a niche audience values the craftsmanship and artistry that goes behind the exquisite designs,” said Patrick Mulligan, VP of Mobile Devices, Motorola Middle East and Africa.

“AURA is Motorola’s latest endeavor into the high-tier mobile device space and is the result of our continued inspiration to innovate in design, imagination and state-of-the-art handcraftsmanship,” Mulligan added.

The AURA also boasts a stainless steel body, with patterns etched into its surface. It takes nearly two weeks just to create the front piece of the hand-crafted phone, where the stainless steel is sculpted, electro and hand polished, chemically etched with patterns and then coated.

AURA by Motorola will retail in 12 countries across the globe at luxury retail outlets.