The Buddha Phone

wired.com

Because weird phone customization can no longer be kept within the pithy confines of the screen, we give you the Nokia Buddha Phone.

But don’t be fooled. It is most assuredly not gold covering the entire phone. According to the Buddha Phone’s site, its shell is made out of stainless steel plated with 24 karat gold plating. But the corner edge looks just like plastic painted over.

The Buddha has small details that are somewhat attractive, like the use of Jade for the main video button, the shape of the keys, and the apparently accurate Buddhist symbols. The tech stuff is secondary with this model, though the site alludes to a touchscreen and a music player that comes with several recordings of Buddhist scriptures embedded.

I wonder what the Buddha would think about this phone. He’d probably think it a bit gaudy. But that's part of life, the part where it is said "the noble truth that is suffering."

• "The Buddha Phone: for the Enlightened Lover of Religious Kitsch"