Russian company launches Orthodox smartphone

Russian luxury brand Gresso has launched a line of Orthodox smartphones.

The Orthodox “Meridian” phone comes in two models: standard and enhanced. 988 standard Meridian phones have been produced, in honour of the baptism of Rus’ in that year. Although the exact year is disputed, many assert that Vladimir the Great was baptised in 988 and proceeded to baptise his family and the people of Kiev, thus beginning the Christianisation of Kievan Rus’. Even more exclusive, just 33 enhanced phones are available.

While the standard version will cost you over 380,000 rubles ($6,370), purchasing one of the rare enhanced phones will set you back 1.5 million rubles ($25,130).

In fairness, this is one swanky smartphone — with a bronze body and a keyboard covered in gold leaf, the Orthodox Meridian phone could add some serious bling to your communications. The phone comes with 32GB of memory and can be used with two sim cards, while the back is adorned with a panel depicting the cross. The Meridian also has a 3 megapixel camera, but no front camera — the creators felt that selfies weren’t terribly Orthodox.

Source: Afisha (in Russian)