Nokia's 8800 outdoes itself again with diamond-studded edition

We don't know what it is about Nokia's 8800, but fashionistas and high-end designers just can't seem to keep their fingerprints off of it. Enter Thomas Heyerdahl, the same artisan who gussied-up an iPod shuffle earlier this year. This fellow has crafted a version of the handset laced with 112 authentic diamonds, and it's said that only 100 of the coveted (and individually numbered) mobiles will be made available. All told, you'll find 0.7 carats of United Nations-approved diamonds per phone, and while the bulk of these things will be sold in select outlets for 30,000 Norwegian kroner ($5,933), numero uno is set to be auctioned for charity to the highest bidder. Pony up, son!

[Via LuxuryLaunches]

[David @ Jun 6th 2008 10:57AM]

meh, I prefer blood diamonds, I hear they're to die for!

[Justin @ Jun 6th 2008 11:27AM]

Well, this way you get blood diamonds AND coltan, a double whammy for your conspicuous consumer.

At what point do we just call people who waste money on stuff like this douchebags? Too many problems in the world to own a DIAMOND STUDDED CELL PHONE.

To the jerk carrying one: Feed some starving kids or something, douchebag.

[Engadgetluvsappl @ Jun 6th 2008 1:00PM]

"numero uno is set to be auctioned for charity".

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 6th 2008 1:49PM]

Pffft. Even diamonds won't turn that Nokia into a good handset. Might as well put diamonds on a turd for all the good it'll do.

I don't know about this handset being ugly, but it sure does look like the type of handset Justin Suarez on Ugly Betty would carry around.

iBoring..... Moving on.....

[happy_penguin @ Jun 6th 2008 10:57AM]

It was nice until they put the diamonds on it.

[spass @ Jun 6th 2008 11:04AM]

Most of us agree with you, because most engadget readers are guys.

Girls would be all over it. "3G GPS iPhone what?"

[Drew Scott @ Jun 6th 2008 10:59AM]

I don't really understand the fascination with putting diamonds on technology ... even at verizon they tried to sell me a $10 pack of plastic stick-on "bling."

It seems like real diamonds would just make your phone an even bigger target ...

[Ace b @ Jun 6th 2008 10:59AM]

You better pray to every entity that you don't ever loose that thing.

[gad get @ Jun 6th 2008 11:06AM]

The value to weight/size ratio isn't high enough already with these devices, so you add diamonds to them. It makes perfect sense in a warped, nonsensical kind of way.

[gad get @ Jun 6th 2008 11:03AM]

Pray to every entity? So like, rabbits and earthworms and giant squids, etc.?

[David @ Jun 6th 2008 11:06AM]

Giant squids = god.

[Ace b @ Jun 6th 2008 11:16AM]

Don't forget the god of Pie.Pie is amazing.

[lance @ Jun 6th 2008 12:06PM]

somehow I think that someone willing to drop that much cheese on a phone doesn't care if they lose it. They will probably buy a new one next year anyway.
diamonds don't cost nothing wholesale so I would say the mark up is the same way a jewelry store does it, like 5000%.

[PS3guy @ Jun 6th 2008 11:00AM]

Diamond on a phone WTF that is so stupid.

[spass @ Jun 6th 2008 11:01AM]

good!

[Gibran Aslam @ Jun 6th 2008 11:04AM]

I find this amusing as I pondered over doing the same thing my orig 8800 a couple of year back. Wanted to have some small diamonds set into the thumb rest bit. Took it to a couple of jewelry places, they all looked at me like i was insane

[gad get @ Jun 6th 2008 11:07AM]

You were.

[Eric @ Jun 6th 2008 11:08AM]

Seems to be five of those diamonds are probably pretty cheap. They are so butt-ugly from bad cut and inclusions.

But considering the youngest diamonds are about 2.5 billion years old, what good is putting them on a phone that lasts for a two-year contract - if you're lucky?

What are you going to do after than? Hang it like a pendant on your neck?

[Mobius_1 @ Jun 6th 2008 11:10AM]

If I may, I actually think this phone looks "tastefully bling", especially compared to some of the uber-bling crapgadgets we've seen so far

[Samboini @ Jun 6th 2008 1:22PM]

But why would you ever want diamonds on it? Just because I earn good money doesn't mean i'm going to waste it on something so pointless; it isn't like a TV or a car etc. where generally the more you pay the better the quality and performance are.

Maybe i'm just turning into a miserable old man now that i'm past 20.

[Kernel C Flemming the 3rd @ Jun 6th 2008 11:13AM]

Engadget please, this is nothing even to do with the 3G iPhone, more 3G iPhone news please none of this "nokia" poppycock.

Yours truly,
Kernel C Flemming the 3rd

[Ace b @ Jun 6th 2008 11:34AM]

you remind me of KFC.

Damn it,now I want me some chicken

[mirakutea @ Jun 6th 2008 11:17AM]

diamonds are forever boring.:].

[chickenator @ Jun 6th 2008 12:06PM]

wow gangsta's phone!

"yo! yo! yo!"

[matt307 @ Jun 6th 2008 12:16PM]

Brainstorm: how can we make our phone more useful and popular, diamonds, right!

[Adam @ Jun 6th 2008 12:27PM]

i find it hilarious that there's not a single diamond on there as big as the gorgeous ones sitting next to the thing

[itlnstln @ Jun 6th 2008 12:38PM]

I thought a Norwegian Kroner was something you get from a good hooker... Oops.

[TareX @ Jun 6th 2008 12:40PM]

Not only is it ugly, but stupid too. What's the point of having a front keypad if you're just going to cover it up with a slider cap. Idiotic.

[Engadgetluvsappl @ Jun 6th 2008 12:51PM]

If you're calling the 8800 Arte ugly then it's pretty obvious that there's no point in trying to bring you back from the iDark side. I will however tell you that the screen slides up, dumb fuck.

[TareX @ Jun 6th 2008 1:04PM]

Given your name, I think you're a retard. And given your idea of a phone with a useless plain front half that doesn't even slide up as "obviously not ugly", then I guess it means you have no idea what your talking about.

And finally, given your language, and star wars reference, I guess you're too much of a baby for me to even talk to.

So why don't u just rant for a while till your mommy calls you for dinner?

[Engadgetluvsappl @ Jun 6th 2008 1:18PM]

Sorry, I'm not in possession of a 'talking about'...

Can't you even see that it's the simplicity that brings the beauty here? The screen does slide up, like I said already.

Hold one of these in real life if you want to know what a luxury phone should look and feel like.

[TareX @ Jun 6th 2008 1:38PM]

Sure less is more. And given your standards for simplicity, the iPhone (all black, all screen, touchscreen) would be considered a luxury phone (and in a way it is).

I've seen this phone with its screen all the way up, and it looks terrible. The lower useless 50% just becomes a useless 30%. And still looks bad.

And I do carry a Nokia +600$ luxury phone, btw. And that doesn't mean it isn't twice as functional as the iPhone, feels great in the hand, looks great, and doesn't have a front half covered in a solid plate.

[Engadgetluvsappl @ Jun 6th 2008 3:41PM]

But you see, the iPhone is simple in style but also in function. If I wanted a nice looking phone that didn't do anything, I certainly wouldn't have my N95 8GB.

[Kasiro @ Jun 6th 2008 1:53PM]

Hmm, nah. Too Cheap.

[boss-hogg @ Jun 7th 2008 3:56PM]

those who hate for no reason cannot afford