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$1000 Japanese Hand-Crafted iPhone Cases Anyone?

By , Saturday, Aug 15, 2009 at 8:44 am
19

500x_japan_texture_iphone_3-620x265

Would you pay $1000 for a hand-craft, culturally symbolic iPhone case?

Crunchgear says they're intended "to show how Japanese warlords from the Sengoku period would probably use their iPhones if they lived today":

The so-called JAPAN TEXTURE [JP] series consists of a total of five cases with different designs. Created under the supervision of a historian, SoftBank says each case is covered with special lacquer and gold dust. It takes three to four weeks to make one, which kind of explains the price.

Given the prices for lacquer bowls, tea sets, and other object d'art, maybe $1000 is no barrier? What say you?

[Picture credit - Nobi]

Rene Ritchie

Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.

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  1. Vsum says:

    I'd definitely get a case if I had those kind of funds to burn, but you would think for a $1000 you could design your own and not just be limited to 5 designs...

  2. fastlane says:

    No thanks. They're probably made from slaughtered whales and dolphins.

  3. Drbling says:

    I agree with sum. They look cool.

  4. Sting7k says:

    Only if it is certified Japanese steel from hitori hanso

  5. Dmys says:

    It's interesting that Japan has even accepted the iPhone and iPods imo. When I was there, they had much more capable devices and streaming live TVs and such and made most of teh other countries look stone age.

  6. cjharley says:

    Awesome looking, but way out of my price range. If I had the money I'd totally sport one.

  7. A.J. says:

    Yeah if I had the funds but with a thousand dollar case I would get another case for my case. Wouldn't want to drop my iPhone case. :P

  8. jonar1us says:

    ur write...the case is more valuable than the iPhone

  9. Castro5661 says:

    Man that's sick! But the case cost more than the phone! Instead of having the case to protect the phone I'd have to find a phone to protect the case!

  10. striatic says:

    "lacquer bowls, tea sets, and other object d’art" are timelessly useful and beautiful.

    the case here becomes 'out of date' the moment apple changes the form factor on their newest iphone release.

  11. a says:

    Ther is a case for the case. I read about it on another site. The 2nd design looks pretty cool.

  12. Joseph says:

    Honestly. Japan and High Tech are a myth. Been here 27 yrs. Gagets up the yin/yang. So what! No wifi anywhere and if you are lucky enough to find a signal it isn't free. Sure the iPhone made it here, but Softbank? Third rate network! No locals will be buying the cases either. Samurai. Who gives a crap!

  13. Doosh says:

    I can easily paint a iPhone case similar to those

  14. Dexter says:

    Doosh says: I can easily paint a iPhone case similar to those

    Then what are you waiting for, ya Doosh!

  15. Gobucks says:

    Are you sure these aren't leaks of the fourth gen iPhone? :-) come on Steve! Enough of the whole minimalist thing...

  16. Mr. Me says:

    Paper or plastic?? Neither..looks like high class corrugation to me. Or maybe its the ivory of an elephant.

  17. Mr. Me says:

    Instead of wasting a grand for this, why not just go to a customization shop n get ur iPhone custom painted. A lot cheaper by the dozen

  18. How can it take 3 to 4 weeks to make a single iPhone case? What do they do with the rest of their time? And at $1,000 a piece too!

  19. Rich says:

    Black Rock Studios are worth a quick look, they are producing custom painted& airbrushed iPhone cases by Award winning artists, http://www.black-rock-studios.com

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