Anyone fond of mobile one-upmanship will be keen to get their hands on Nokia 's latest exclusive high-end incarnation of its 8800 sliderphone - the 8800 Sirocco Gold, a phone which comes with an 18-carat gold plating.

The eye catching Sirocco Gold, which will sell for around 1,000 euro (£670) SIM-free, is built with style and exclusivity in mind, featuring a stainless steel chassis under the gold plus a scratch-resistant sapphire coated screen. Even the slider uses 'premium ball bearings' for a smooth action, Nokia says.

Luxury it may be, but the 8800 Sirocco Gold doesn't incorporate the latest 3G technology, making do with tri-band/EDGE compatibility and a set of features that includes a 2-megapixel camera with video record capability, an MP3 player and FM radio. Swappable memory isn't included either - although the 8800 Sirocco does have 128MB of internal memory.

This premium priced handset is expected to go on sale by the summer.

Key features include:

  • Tri-band (GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz)
  • Premium user interface
  • 262,144 colour TFT 208x208 pixel display with scratch-resistant sapphire coated glass
  • 2-megapixel camera
  • Video recording and streaming
  • Music player (supports MP3 and eAAC)
  • 2.5mm headphone jack
  • FM radio
  • 128 MB internal memory
  • Dimensions: 107(h) x 45(w) x 17.2(d) mm. Weight: 139g
  • Crystalline designer ring tones and exclusive themes
  • Bluetooth connectivity