This titanium iPhone case costs $1,345 more than the most expensive iPhone it could possibly pro
iPhones are more expensive than ever, but there's a subset of users who want even more luxury, and for whom cost isn't an factor.
Those people should check out the Advent Collection iPhone case from Gray, a Singapore-based luxury brand. To our knowledge, it's the only iPhone case with a price tag that significantly exceeds the cost of the phone itself.
In fact, an Advent Collection case will run you a cool $1,345.
What makes it so expensive?
Gray says the case starts as a solid block of titanium that gets machined down into a case. Then, it's treated to give it a rainbow glow. Finally, the cases are individually numbered, like prints of art.
That's a pretty excessive process to create a simple phone protector. But then, the luxury market is not about functionality or necessity; it's about exclusivity — or the appearance of it.
Gray loaned us one of these titanium cases to check out on an iPhone 8 Plus. Here's what it's like to dress your phone in a $1,345 case:
The $1345 iPhone case comes with its own case.
The case's case is made out of machined aluminum and has a very high-quality, heavy, premium feeling sliding on and off.
These are the two main parts that make up the Gray Advent case. They go on both sides of your iPhone. In this shot you can see the custom rainbow-colored finish.
Each case is individually numbered.
Gray says the Advent's rainbow finish comes from "hand-torching" the titanium.
The logo and other details are laser-etched.
Here's Gray's promo video.
The two-piece case frames slide onto both sides of the phone. If there's one complaint I have with the design, it's that the Advent case comes with little rubber bits that help it adhere to the iPhone, and they're finicky.
But once it's on, it feels super solid. If you want a screen protector, it's sold separately, but most Advent case buyers should be able to afford it.
Here's what it looks like on our gold iPhone 8. The rainbow look definitely stands out, and the metal has a really premium-feeling texture.
We didn't test its durability too strenuously, but it fully covers all four corners to help mitigate screen cracking when dropped.
The Advent case is sharply angled with a lot of chamfered edges. It gives the soft, rounded iPhone an aggressive, masculine look.
It reminds us a little bit of a Lamborghini.
Or an Audemars Piguet watch.
Is it worth $1,345? It's hard to say — after all, a $50 Otterbox can protect a phone just as well. But anyone considering a case that costs more than the most expensive iPhone probably has a special relationship with their disposable income.
We tested a case for the iPhone Plus 8, but Advent will have a version for the iPhone X as soon as it comes out.
Grey makes other titanium iPhone cases with different finishes. They're still pricey, but slightly more affordable.
Check out the full lineup here.
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