May 25, 2011 09:01 GMT  ·  By

As we reported earlier this month, Nokia decided to cover one of its popular Symbian smartphones, namely the C7, in gold

Initially launched in Russia via mobile phone retailer Svyaznoy, the smartphone is now officially introduced by the Finnish manufacturer as Nokia Oro, which means 'gold' in Italian.

Nokia Oro is in fact a premium Nokia C7, so do not expect anything new in terms of design or technical specifications.

However, the phone is build using only high-quality materials, so expect a certain amount of gold, sapphire and expensive leather.

The phone's frame along with the Home key are made from 18 carat gold, while the back of the phone is wrapped in the finest quality Bridge of Weir leather.

Our aim was to use the best materials for the purpose. It’s coated with 18-carat gold which has been made scratch-resistant. The leather is from premium Scottish stock. That’s a real sapphire crystal in the home key, which makes it eight times sturdier than glass,” said Materials Designer Robert Lihou.

Fortunately, the phone comes with Symbian Anna, so potential customers won't need to wait for the promised update that Nokia C7 users are yet to receive in the following weeks.

Although the phone features pentaband radio connectivity, it appears that main markets for Nokia Oro are the Middle East and Russia, where the smartphone is a best-seller for some time.

Furthermore, the device comes with HSDPA 3G and WiFi connectivity, a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, an 8-megapixel camera with 720p video recording and a 680 MHz ARM 11 processor.

Premium products like Nokia Oro have always been best sellers in Russia. We have a large number of users who are looking for products with a build quality and superior materials that attest to their success and social standing. In some areas, possession of such premium products is the passport to being taken seriously,” said Nokia’s General Manager for Russia, Gabriel Speratti.

Customer who wish to purchase such a premium mobile phone should pay around EUR 800 (taxes excluded) upfront or a bit less in case the phone is subsidized by carriers.

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Nokia Oro
Nokia Oro sales package
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