Limited-edition phones sold out in just three days

Recession may be looming large in Japan, but there are still some people willing to splash out on diamond-encrusted mobile telephones...

HomeNews 4 Kids11/10/2008[ Tokyo, Japan ] Tell - A - Friend

Recession may be looming large in Japan, but there are still some people willing to splash out on diamond-encrusted mobile telephones.

Japan's Softbank Mobile said Friday that its eight limited-edition phones, each studded with 537 diamonds from Tiffany and Co., sold out in just three days.

The phone, designed by the luxury New York jeweler, went on sale for about 13 million yen each (134,000 dollars) on November 1. "All eight were sold by November 3," said Softbank spokesman Katsuhide Furuya.

"I guess the buyers found them worthwhile." Japan is the world's largest market for luxury goods and nearly everyone owns a cell phone, leading fashion companies to try to tap into the mobile market.

Earlier this year Softbank rival NTT DoCoMo Inc. launched a phone designed by Italian brand Prada. Gucci also started a website for items accessible only by Japanese mobile phones.

afp.com

Recession, Diamond Encrusted Mobile Telephones, Limited Edition Phones, Diamonds, Buyers, Luxury Goods, Phone