Tesla makes the most sought-after electric cars and solar projects on the planet. And now, an eclectic foreign brand wants to ride off that success.
Russian brand Caviar makes ostentatious, bejeweled smart devices and other “royal gifts.” Its line of phones and cases are covered in gold and special, limited-edition designs, and easily top several thousand dollars.
Caviar’s most recent release is the iPhone X Tesla. This bespoke smartphone appears to leverage the cult popularity of the Tesla brand and its founder Elon Musk. The coup de gras is a functioning solar panel on back for always-on charging.
Caveat: This phone is not made by Tesla. Caviar, an Italian jewelry company now based in Russia, makes all kinds of luxury and gold-plated goods. Its over-the-top offerings include blinged-out Apple Watches and even a line of “golden weapons,” which include (you guessed it) gold-plated pistols.
While that might seem tacky, the products appear to be legitimately high-quality. And the marketing aims squarely at the super wealthy. The iPhone X Tesla is no different. It costs 284,000 rubles, or about $4,500. Local taxes and customs not included when it ships from overseas.
‘Tesla’ Solar-Charging Phone
On Caviar’s product page, the phone’s description and specs have a lost-in-translation quality, touting the solar back as “able to charge from light” (duh) and noting how “just a while ago it seemed impossible, but already today it becomes necessary.”
The Caviar copywriting continues, “Use the technologies of the future for 100% and they will bring more comfort into your life, and, which is quite important, help the world to become eco-friendly.” Is that an Elon Musk quote?
With that said, the iPhone X Tesla is a real Apple product. Its permanently attached case appears to be a sturdy solar shell, made with anodized coverings and carbon fiber.
According to Business Insider, Elon Musk himself will receive the first iPhone X Tesla phone. Perhaps watch for the Russian bling at Musk’s next press conference announcing spaceflight, solar projects, or tunnels under the city of Los Angeles.
