14 DAY TRIAL // The first mobile phone to bear the TAG Heuer brand, namely the luxurious TAG Heuer Meridiist, has been approved by the FCC, hence rich mobile users from the US will be able to buy it too (besides the users from Europe, who will be the first to get the handset).
Although it does not feature 3G connectivity, the Meridiist supports both the European and the North American GSM network frequencies, so it is a "global phone".
Even without 3G, the Tag Heuer handset is a rare piece of mobile technology. Created in collaboration with ModeLabs and built with TAG Heuer's know-how, the Meridiist is assembled from no less than 430 components, in order to work like a high-precision Swish watch.
The Meridiist comes with two displays, both made from unscratchable 60.5 carat sapphire crystal: the first is a regular 1.9 inch QVGA one, while the second is situated on the upper side of the case, serving as an "independent time unit".
The rest of the features packed in the Tag Heuer phone include: Bluetooth, Music and Video players, Web and email capabilities, a 2 Megapixel camera with video recording, and a battery that can last up to 7 hours in talk-time mode and up to 28 days in stand-by mode.
The dimensions and weight of Meridiist are not known for the moment. However, since its case is made out of corrosion-resistant 316L steel (the same that TAG Heuer uses on its high end watches), the handset is probably not as lightweight as a regular phone.
Earlier this year, TAG Heuer said that the Meridiist would be available come September, for retail prices starting at $5,300 (about 3,400 Euros). Consumers will be able to find the luxurious handset in Tag Heuer's boutiques and in other select jewelry stores.
