Nokia Oro announced: Symbian Anna inside and gold outside

Today Nokia unveiled their new premium handset dubbed the Nokia Oro. The Symbian smartphone will offer a selection of exquisite materials for its exterior, including 18-carat gold plating, sapphire crystal and leather.

That's the second public appearance of the Nokia Oro, after it leaked a few weeks ago. The smartphone sports the latest Anna update of the Symbian operating system and a good set of connectivity options – microUSB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and 3G with HSDPA. There’s also a sweet 3.5” ClearBlack AMOLED screen with nHD resolution on board.

Nokia Oro

Designwise the Nokia Oro is an exact copy of the C7 mass-market model, but Nokia has made sure that it won’t get mistaken for its mortal cousin. The company says that the build quality has been improved and the materials used are just screaming expensive.

The 18-carat gold plating used for the frame around the front panel, the keys and the part around the camera lens have been made scratch-resistant so it won’t lose its appeal over time. The leather used for the rest of the back panel comes from premium Scottish stock and the home button is covered by real sapphire crystal, which is said to be 8 times tougher than glass.

If you fancy snatching a full-featured smartphone with looks that will clearly state your high social status, you will be able to get the Nokia Oro in Q3 of this year. Europe, China and the Middle East will be the first to get the handset, which will cost in excess of €800 before taxes and subsides.