No Google, no GPS, no camera... so why such a huge price tag for the Æsir YB1?
Æsir is a phone, pure and simple. Not only does it not have an internet connection, it doesn't have a camera either. Huge price tag? Yep, watchmakers are involved - the screen is cut from sapphire glass, as found in posh timepieces
Rich people don't need iPhones - they've got staff to manage their calendars, send emails and 'like' other aristocrats' Facebook posts.
They tend to buy phones that do less than most - hence the Æsir which, despite its stern Scandinavian design and horrifying price tag, does barely anything at all. This is a phone to be seen with - not to be stuck on a desert island with.
The Æsir - named after the Norse gods - is, according to the company's CEO, 'an anti-smartphone'.
It doesn't do anything so plebeian as email or Angry Birds - it just does clear voice calls and text messages.
But unlike rivals (ie, nouveau-riche favourite Vertu) it isn't just a posh 'skin' for another phone. It took three years to design, is made from watch-grade material by European craftsmen, and everything down to the ring tones has been designed specially for it.
That may be slim consolation when you look at the smoking ruins of your bank account, of course.
This model costs £6,400... and the gold-plated one is £37,000.
