A Bristol-born businessman based in Dubai is bracing himself for a flood of orders for iPhones clad not in the gold-effect finish of the new iPhone 5S, but the real stuff.
Amjad Ali supplies royal families, governments, and minted customers across Russia, China and the Middle East with gold-plated devices that cost up to £50,000.
The 42-year-old entrepreneur, who grew up in Glasgow, has pre-ordered hundreds of new iPhones. His team at Gold and Co. will set to work the day after launch before delivering the devices to luxury retailers.
“We strip the units down and then plate them in copper, nickel and then pure gold,” he told the Independent. “We have limited units per region and each is numbered and placed in a handmade wooden box with a certificate of authenticity and wax seal.”
Ali typically delivers 50 devices a month, including Blackberries and iPads, but orders rose to more than 300 a month when the iPhone 5 was launched last year. The firm expects greater demand still for the sixth-generation device, announced today.
Gold and Co.’s customers have included the Saudi royal family, which, Ali says, ordered a gold iPhone studded with hundreds of diamonds, including a giant piece that served as the device’s “home” button. The bill: £50,000.
Basic models in gold or rose gold cost from £3,000. Ali says he is fulfilling an order from the Nigerian government for 53 gold iPhones to mark the country’s 53rd year of independence from Britain next month.
“We will engrave them with the coat of arms, a shield and two horses,” he said.
The company has also supplied an engraved gold iPad to each of the rooms at the luxury “six-star” Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.
For the new iPhone, Ali has added a platinum option to the gold and rose gold currently offered. “Muslim men are not supposed to wear gold,” he explains. “We had government departments for example cancelling orders so now we’re launching platinum to tap into a huge market. Most importantly, it’s a third colour. Everyone wants to be different.”
Independent.co.uk
The 42-year-old entrepreneur, who grew up in Glasgow, has pre-ordered hundreds of new iPhones. His team at Gold and Co. will set to work the day after launch before delivering the devices to luxury retailers.
“We strip the units down and then plate them in copper, nickel and then pure gold,” he told the Independent. “We have limited units per region and each is numbered and placed in a handmade wooden box with a certificate of authenticity and wax seal.”
Ali typically delivers 50 devices a month, including Blackberries and iPads, but orders rose to more than 300 a month when the iPhone 5 was launched last year. The firm expects greater demand still for the sixth-generation device, announced today.
Gold and Co.’s customers have included the Saudi royal family, which, Ali says, ordered a gold iPhone studded with hundreds of diamonds, including a giant piece that served as the device’s “home” button. The bill: £50,000.
Basic models in gold or rose gold cost from £3,000. Ali says he is fulfilling an order from the Nigerian government for 53 gold iPhones to mark the country’s 53rd year of independence from Britain next month.
“We will engrave them with the coat of arms, a shield and two horses,” he said.
The company has also supplied an engraved gold iPad to each of the rooms at the luxury “six-star” Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.
For the new iPhone, Ali has added a platinum option to the gold and rose gold currently offered. “Muslim men are not supposed to wear gold,” he explains. “We had government departments for example cancelling orders so now we’re launching platinum to tap into a huge market. Most importantly, it’s a third colour. Everyone wants to be different.”
Independent.co.uk
SO THIS IS WHAT THEY USE OUR MONEY FOR. THEY WILL NOT ANSWER ASUU YET THERE THEY ARE SQUANDERING IT AS THEY LIKE AND PPLE ARE SUFFERING. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY OF NIG GOVT. SHAME SHAME SHAME
ReplyDeleteYes, we need them badly. Please charge 50,000 pounds for each one. And for 53, it will cost about N662.5m. Who is complaining? Let ASUU and the bad roads go to hell. Let whoever opposes this be arrested and taken to prison. Award the contract to one of the boys/men/women immediately. Pdp go Nigeria go.
ReplyDeleteNigeria don dey madt abi
ReplyDeleteNigeria don dey madt abi
ReplyDeleteNigeria don dey madt abi
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 2:06pm u are a fool.
ReplyDeleteShame
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous 8.44pm, it is obvious that Anonymous 2:06pm is talking in sarcasm and irony. explanation, he was highlighting the important things Nigeria should focus on instead. its called figure of speech my man
ReplyDeleteLet us all cross our fingers n see if dis is actually gonna happen...sebi drogba don enter dem head bah?blv me dey will surely know we aint cowards again
ReplyDeleteThis is a share waste of national resources as the money is spent on unproductive items. The money is rather spent to finance small scale industry; or be added to money to be paid to ASUU.
ReplyDeleteI HOPE THEY KNOW THAT 53 PIECES WON'T BE ENOUGH TO GO ROUND. APART FROM THE MEMBERS OF FEC & NAT COUNCIL OF STATE? WHAT ABOUT THE "LOYAL" GOVRNORS, SENATORS & NAT. ASS MEMBERS? WHAT OF THE PDP NWC, NEC & BOT MEMBERS? MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ABOUT ME? I THINK ORDER SHOULD BE INCREASED TO ABOUT 1,530 PIECES JARE AT THE USUALLY INFLATED PRICE OF ABOUT $95,000 EACH WITHOUT ANY TENDERING OR DUE PROCESS IN THE "SUPPLY". AFTERALL, its not easy to attain 53yrs as an independent & prosperous nation! ASUU CAN GO AND SINK IN THE BAYELSA OCEAN!
ReplyDeleteWell this is what i have been saying. This man GEJ has no good mission for this country. A man voted to come and rescue and right the wrongs past leaders has turned out to be worst than his predecessors. WHAT A SHAME!
ReplyDeleteEiyaaa, no wonder d sacked ministers cried. No gold rubbish for them. Sorry. My question is where are d human rights activists? Is it nt possible to investigate d claim and if they are true, get an order of court restraining the Govt? Ahh, their bank account is full, they have more than enough investment in real estate and all so they do nt know what to do wt money again. God help 9ja
ReplyDeleteFor every suffering ds rulers have put Nigerians through...GOD will give them 1000 times more...Imagine wat kind of wasters are ds pple?Is d finance minister aware of ds too?& wat will Abati say about ds one?Gold plated iphone?In an organised setting ds is enuf to bring down ds Jonathan PDP government but in Naija... Odun Tutu
ReplyDeleteMy people how true is this news?Let's verify its authenticity before jumping into conclusions!Dem dey craze?Gold plated Iphone for wat?Are they going to be browsing gold plated browse..sending and receiving gold plated messages?abi na gold plated calls go dey occour?dem nor well if dem try am!
ReplyDelete