HTC jumps on gold phone bandwagon with $4400 real gold phone

TORONTO – Evidently, gold is the new black in the smartphone world.

But if you thought the champagne-coloured iPhone 5S or the gold-tinted Samsung S4 were luxurious, just wait until you see the latest addition to the smartphone gold rush.

HTC UK has encased its HTC One smartphone in real 18-carat gold to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the MOBO Awards, a British awards ceremony celebrating “music of black origin.”

But all that gold comes with a hefty price tag – the phone is valued at £2,750 (US$4,416).

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Though only five of the limited-edition gold-plated phones have been made, those with money to burn can up the ante even further with a 24-carat custom gold-plated HTC One through technology gold outfitters Goldgenie for around US$3,000.

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In case Apple users are starting to get gold envy, Goldgenie also sells 24-carat gold-plated and Swarovski encrusted iPhones, iPad Minis and iPod Touch devices.

BlackBerry users can also get their hands on gold-plated BlackBerry Q10s through the gold customization service – however, it doesn’t appear that the company ships to Canada.