Diamond-Covered Phones Put 'Boring' on Hold

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (TheStreet -- For all the geeks who think Apple's(AAPL) iPhone or Motorola's(MOT) new Droid are the latest in cell phone chic, there are a few companies that might beg to differ.

A new slate of high-priced phones have hit the market in recent weeks. However, it's unclear whether demand from American buyers will elevate handsets to the label-conscious status of watches and handbags.

On Nov. 2, watchmaker TAG Heuer said it teamed with Italian sports car legend Lamborghini to craft the Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini phone. Only 1,963 phones will be made, a tribute to the year the car company was launched.

Motorola recently introduced its $6,000 Aura Diamond Edition.

The phone, which press materials say was "inspired by the mythic Lamborghini Murcielago," has a stainless steel case that's coated with black-titanium carbide. Its design pays homage to the car's trademark look. The signature on its battery cover is the same as the one on the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640's engine.

The display is made from 60.5 carats of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Its battery can power seven hours of talk time and 28 days on standby. The back of the device is engraved with its limited-edition number, while the keyboard features Automobili Lamborghini's trademark Taurus bull on the steel central button.

The phone will be available at select TAG Heuer and Lamborgini retailers. The price, discreetly tucked away in a corner of the product's Web site, starts at $7,500.

The phone is not, by any stretch, the most expensive of its kind. Though luxury phones have never quite hit their mark in the U.S., overseas consumers have made ostentatious handsets all the rage. In Europe and Asia, status brands such as Prada and Giorgio Armani have collaborated with phone makers. The results have been more about adornment than technology.