Motorola announced its foray into the luxury phone market with the $2,000 Aura, which will compete directly with Nokia’s highly successful Vertu. The phones may share many of the same features, but the overall effect is very different. For example, the Aura has the world’s first 16 million color circular display with 300 dpi resolution and a mirrored finish more commonly used in luxury watches, while CrystalTalk technology allows for clear communication even in the noisiest environments.

The materials that comprise the 700 components of the Aura are first class. The phone boasts a 62-carat sapphire crystal lens that renders it virtually scratchproof, a chemically etched stainless steel housing, an aluminum keypad with individually formed and applied keys, and a Swiss-made main bearing at the center of its mechanical heart. Some of the technology is automotive-inspired, such as the custom engineering with 130 precision ball bearings that assists the opening of the blade, like the door of a high-end car. The carbine coated tungsten gears are the same used in racing engines.