Motorola introduces AURA

Classic design, the industry's first circular display and fine craftsmanship help AURA deliver a sensory experience that is second to none for those with refined tastes.

Sophisticated design, high performance racing engines and the quality of the printed page proved the perfect muses to inspire the creation of AURA. Its form recalls the timeless beauty of luxury watches with the introduction of the world's first circular display on a mobile device. Technical precision and mechanical excellence are met with a Swiss-made main bearing and more than 200 parts that create a seamless opening for the handset. The quality of a photographic print is celebrated in the brilliant interplay of 16 million colors and 300 dpi resolution on the unique, round liquid-crystal display. Capped with a Grade 1, 62-carat sapphire crystal lens - one of the most scratch-resistant materials on earth - AURA is simply elegant.

Patrick Mulligan, Vice President, Mobile Devices, Motorola Middle East and Africa, said:

"The Middle East is witnessing a growing demand for exclusive luxury products and a niche audience values the craftsmanship and artistry that goes behind the exquisite designs. AURA is Motorola's latest endeavor into the high-tier mobile device space and is the result of our continued inspiration to innovate in design, imagination and state-of-the-art handcraftsmanship. From the moment AURA owners hold their phones, they elevate their own experience in luxury and unmatched quality."

The hand-sculpted richness of AURA can literally be felt in its stainless steel housing, textures and patterns chemically etched into its surface. The front piece of the phone takes nearly two weeks to create. In that time, the stainless steel is sculpted, electro and hand polished, chemically etched and PVD coated. The result is a finely finished product that withstands the test of time.

Turning the phone over reveals a window into its mechanical heart. The Swiss-made main bearing, gears composed of Rockwell 50-55 hardened steel and 130 precision ball bearings work in tandem to drive the assisted-opening blade, an effect more like opening a luxury car door than accessing a mobile device. Its custom-engineered rotating mechanism is composed of more than 200 high-precision individual parts, and the gears are protected from harsh conditions with the same coatings used in high-performance racing engines. Motorola's proprietary CrystalTalk technology takes AURA to the highest level of audio clarity on every call, while Stereo Bluetooth technology enables AURA owners to make and take phone calls hands free by pairing with a compatible headset.

The AURA will retail in 12 countries across the globe and will be available in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in mid-December 2008 at luxury retail outlets.