Ulysse Nardin Chairman Has Android, Costs More Than it Needs To

We understand that some pieces of gadgetry out there cost a pretty penny, or two (or several thousand), but we have to admit that there should be some kind of limit on some of these things. Or, if not the limit on the prices themselves, than maybe just a limit on the craziness that some business people out there will go to to sell their tech. In the case of the Ulyse Nardin Chairman, a luxury phone beyond all luxury phones, you might want to sit down for this one. It's a doozy.

We've seen the Ulysse Nardin Charman luxury phone before, but something has changed since then. It's running Android, Google's mobile Operating System, and not Windows Mobile as originally conceived. But, before we go any further, let's just add that we understand the concept behind the price for this device. After all, it does have a functional kinetic power system within the device. Basically, that means the device itself will generate electrical power, which can last up to 8 hours of talk time, and up to 30 days of stand-by time. It has a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, fingerprint recognition, 3G, a preloaded Facebook application (does that mean Android 2.0/2.1 is running this thing?), an 8MP camera, HD video playback, 32GB of internal memory, and an ARM-based Freescale i.MX processor. It also has "extensive gaming ability," but we'll be honest: we have no idea what that means.

Now, for the moment of truth. If you'll recall, there wasn't any word on what the Ulysse Nardin Chairman would cost last year. That's all changed. If you're interested in pre-ordering the device, you can head over to their site and do the deed right now. But, you better be ready to drop anywhere between $12,800 and $49,500 for this thing. The price variation depends on what model you choose, which comes in five color versions. We honestly love the way this handset looks, and we are fans of the kinetic rotor, but . . . Well, we don't have to say it.

[via the unwiredview]