Every once in a while, it's fun to do some online window shopping to check out what kinds of things we could buy if money wasn't an issue—and unfortunately, there's never a shortage of new and enticing tech luxuries out there, with both astounding designs and price tags.
And we may have just found the most "out there" case yet that you can buy for the Apple's latest flagship lineup, the iPhone 13 series. This bad boy is covered in titanium and actual gold plating, screaming luxury and high class. The only thing it doesn't have is diamonds—but then again, you wouldn't want to risk scratching the delicate iPhone's back with any sharp diamond edges, would you?
If the iPhone 13 costs $1099 (we assume if you're made of money, you'd get the 512GB variant, obviously), this case costs nearly triple that sum. This Gold Titanium iPhone 13 Pro case is only one of a set of ultra-premium iPhone cases selling under the Alter Ego trademark, created by an international luxury company named Gray. And the price tag is a modest $2699.
If you find this surprising, then you should know that the Gold case is by far not the most expensive in Alter Ego's luxury case collection. The more colorful "Aurora" alternative option cashes in at $3199, and you'll also get to see that one a little further below.
The company's motto behind the Alter Ego iPhone case series is:
"Others will stare. Make it worth their while."
"The ALTER EGO was inspired by you," says Gray. "You, the rebel who refuses to blend into the background, instead choosing to raise the bar everyday. Radically transforming the iPhone, the ALTER EGO turns your phone into a spectacular object of power, a show-stopper in your hands. Hide and seek is no longer an option. Because if everything that you do is special, why should your phone look ordinary?"
Dang.
The mission statement of the Gray company is quite the brazen declaration as well:
Not everyone will leave their mark in the world, because not everyone can. While many can see the unlimited potential of the future, few truly believe that it is their destiny to shape it. This select group are the rebels, those who have dared to turn the promise of tomorrow into their mission today. These are the visionaries, the pioneers and the creators.
GRAY was born to honour this entrepreneurial spirit, to serve as their periscope into the future. Fearless, confident and decisive. Our history starts tomorrow, our heritage is the future.
The colour gray calls to mind the tension between black and white, different absolutes. Every great invention in the world happens in this space, where the friction between different ideas, perspectives and experiences ignites true innovation. Balancing these different inputs to create the extraordinary is our mantra. We call this the Art of GRAY.
The world for the rebel can be a lonely place. Few see life as they do, in all its beauty and positivity. Few are able to look upon the world of today and see the opportunities of tomorrow. Few dare to dream of doing great by shaping reality.
Here, the few becomes the many.
Welcome to the family.
If you could leave your mark in the world and shape the future—become a visionary, pioneer, creator—all by flaunting a gold-plated cover on your smartphone, then we're all in! Ah, if it were only that easy...
Anyways, turning to some hard specs, the Gold case is CNC machined (created by computer-controlled high-precision tools) entirely from an Aerospace-grade titanium alloy (Grade 5 Titanium, or 6Al4V for the geeks here).
It's coated with a layer of gold, applied through physical vapour deposition (PVD), topped by a mechanically textured surface finish. Popular on watches and jewelry, PVD allows for an extremely thin but smooth gold coating.
The Gold iPhone 13 case is limited to only 500 Pieces worldwide—that includes the iPhone 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max.
Besides iPhone cases, Gray also sells Apple Watch cases and bands, titanium card and crypto hardware wallets, and pens. Oh, and a GRAYCRAFT aluminum space travel figurine that costs twenty thousand dollars.
Come to think of it, why didn't any premium Android flagships make the cut to be dressed in gold and titanium in the Alter Ego series? We can't help feeling a bit insulted over that. It's probably because Apple increasingly tries to market itself as a luxury lifestyle brand (remember the Hermès AirTag accessories?), and companies seeking a similar image are naturally attracted to complementing it.
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