Mobiado: Designer Phone For Gadget Freaks
posted December 16th 2004 8:10AM
Nokia already has an exclusive line of designer phones called Vertu, they'll run you a thick knot, but you
aren't paying for cutting edge features, instead the money is an investment in elegant design and expensive
materials—oh, and access to the Vertu concierge service to do everything for you in lieu of fancy technologies.
The Mobiado tries to fill the gap between feature packed phones and designer phones. The materials aren't as exlusive
as the Vertu's nor is the design as sexy (it looks like ball bearings dropped on block of aluminum, which is basically
exactly what it is). However the Mobiado has all the latest features like Bluetooth, a VGA camera, video, EDGE, and
Nokia's series 40 v 2 interface. Hey wait a second, that sounds just like a Nokia 6230. In fact, if you look at where
all the buttons and the camera are placed, the Mobiado is a Nokia 6230 inside a shiny metal case.
So what sort of luxury features does $1200 buy you? A machined aluminum case with stainless steel buttons and Acrylite
(a form of Lexan) lens. In other words, a phone that will stick to your face like a lamp pole if you use it this
winter. The one real bonus Mobiado adds over the 6230 is two LED assist lamps for the digital camera. Are two LEDs and
an aluminum body worth $850 we'd have to say no. In fact we'd say you're better off spending your hard earned cash on a
6230 and commissioning a fabricator to build a much nicer metal or carbon fibre or some such fancy material cover and
faceplate. You'll have something nicer and still probably spend less than half of what a Mobiado would run you.
Yeah, it's way too expensive for a production phone with little value over the 6230. But to say that you could contract someone to make the aluminum case (or carbon fiber) and all the other accents for the phone for half of the difference in price is absurd. Custom fabrication requires mega bucks...
Small correction - Acrylite is Cyro's tradename for Polymethylmethacryate thermoplastic polymer (PMMA or Acrylic in the biz) Lexan is General Electric's tradename for Polycarbonate thermoplastic polymer. Two completly different materials; kinda like saying that Reynold's wrap is a different kind of stainless steel.
Well im still waiting for something this price, that looks better than that brick. I could use some more features as i'm still living with my Black Titanium Nokia 8910..
http://www.nokia.co.uk/nokia/0,8764,18195,00.html
"a phone that will stick to your face like a lamp pole if you use it this winter..."
You say that as if it's a BAD thing. A feature like that will save you from having to blow another $300 on the matching designer BT headset...
Fabricating your own? You forget an important detail. Phones have things like antennas. They use radio waves. If you put strange metal - or even carbon fiber, as it's conductive - around them, they won't work properly. If you want to make your own case, you will need a serious RF designer and testing lab involved.
I don't know how much testing Mobiado has done. I'd hold off on buying one till you've read reports analyzing its signal performance. I worry when I see them adding their own case around an existing phone. It's hard to do that without killing signal strength. Remember, even big companies like SonyEricsson have had problems with antenna quality in the past.
I purchased a mobiado last week. I compared it to my Nokia 6230, and reception seems identical. Really like the feel of it, has a bit of weight but not heavy. Have to say looks even better than on the web site. “Real eye catcher”
I want to get your price list and the kind of Mobiado.
we will high appreciate your soonest reply.