Information technology has helped in shaping both the business world and our society in general. Many fields have been impacted by information technology and these include; education , health , entertainment , communication just to mention but a few. The impacts of information technology are profound. As the world develops, more technology will emerge and this technology will have both positive and negative impacts. Below i have detailed points showing you how information technology has impacted our lives.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN BUSINESS

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• Increases production and saves time: Business use technology to automate tasks.  A good example is a bakery which uses automated temperature censors to detect any drop or increase in room temperature in a bakery. These censors will send information directly to the operator and report any temperature change. This saves the bakery time and it also results into quality products.

• Improves communication through communication technology: With the help of communication technology tools like phones, video conferencing , electronic mail, databases just to mention but a few. Movement of information with in an organization or business has become easy and first. Employees can easily move information across departments without having any interruptions. Tools like electronic mail , e-fax, mobile phones and text messaging enhance the movement of information among employees , customers and business partners or suppliers.

• Improves data storage and file management: Businesses use cloud hosting services to store and backup business data. Also it saves on paper work and makes transfer and access of data remote. With services like ‘’Dropbox.com’’, business owners can access their data any time any where. Information and data are very important tools for a business, so it is very essential to store them safely and also access them at any time of need.

RELATED:

:- The Impact of Information Technology on Small Business

:- The Role of Information Technology in Group Decision Making

:- 5 Ethical Challenges of Information Technology

• Improves financial management: Accounting software like Quick Books , Bookkeeper , Sage 50 , and Account Edge  can be used in performing various accounting tasks in a business. Business owners can easily balance their books with less experience in accounting because these software’s are well equipped with every tool needed in accounting and they also have a help section which can be referred to  in case a user is stuck.

• Cuts costs of operation and increases on RIO – Communication technology and social technology have made business promotion and product launch affordable. Many small business have found ways to use social technology to increase on their brand awareness and get more clients at a minimal cost. In business, factors like cost of operation play a big role in the development and growth of that business. So when businesses use information technology to cut down on costs of operation, then their ROI will increase which will result into business growth.

• Improves business to consumer relationship – Businesses have embraced the social technology to interact with their consumers and fans. This creates a strong business to consumer relationship and it results into business growth and expansion. Information technology can be used to improve customer service in so many ways. For example, businesses can use internet to inform their customers about great deals and discounts, this makes customers feel special and it can drive their desire to buy. A good customer service can be used as a great tool by any small business to gain competitive advantage.

• Improves on business competitive advantage: Companies have used technology to gain competitive advantage over their competitors.  A business will improve on its technology and improve on its services and products which will make its customers happy, this will turn these happy customer loyal to that business and also invite more friends to use that service or product.

RELATED:

:- Use of Information Technology

:- The Role of Information Technology In Todays World

:- 6 Uses of Information Technology in Education

DIS:

• Implementation Expenses:  Small businesses fail to afford this expensive technology so they end up losing their clients to a business which has improved its technology and provides a better service or product.
• Job Elimination: Technology has replaced most positions which humans used to occupy. Accounting is now being done by software, so accountants run out of opportunities.
• Security Breaches:  Since businesses store their data on remote cloud servers which can be accessed with a user name and password, they risk losing that data to wrong minded knowledge works, hackers or viruses, which can harm he business.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN PURCHASING

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• Credit Cards and Smart cards: Buying and selling of goods and services has become simple because of these smart cards. A user can go to a merchant’s website and make an order using their smart card or credit card. Money will be transferred from the consumers account to the merchants account in seconds, and then the merchant will deliver the item to the consumers address. This saves time for both parties.
• Electronic Bill Presentation and Payment:  (EBPP) systems send us bills over the internet and they give us an easy way to pay them if the amount looks correct.  In this there is need for billing companies to send our bills in mail. It saves time for both parties.

DIS:

• Internet security issues:  For the merchant to process an order online, a consumer has to provide their financial details. Experienced hackers can use this lop hole to channel this information and use it for their own needs.
• Faulty products and duplication: In most cases auction websites have products that are not real. So a user can bid on a shoe thinking it is original, upon delivery, they discover that the shoe is fake and it does not resemble the picture on auction.
• Privacy – ecommerce websites collect personal data using cookies to know more about us and suggest products basing on that information. This data is collected without any notice , but with selfish intent.

       ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY:

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• Improved innovation: Technology has played a big role in job creation and emerging of technology based companies. With access to a computer and internet, any one can start an business while at home. Most successful technology based ventures like Google / Amazon / Facebook, to mention but a few, started from home but now they employ thousands or people.
• Improved entertainment: Technology has changed the entertainment industry, now days we have many options to choose from, you can have a play-list of 10,000 songs in your palms with an ipod, you can watch movies on the go with an ipad , the list is endless.
• Improved social discovery:  Finding both old and new friends has become very simple. With social networks like facebook and twitter, you can easily keep up with all your old friends and also make new ones.
• Globalization of knowledge: Today you can use the internet to get the latest news from any country on the globe. Services like ‘’Twitter’’ have enabled people to become journalist so they report news on instant by twitting. Services like Wikipedia.org are well equipped with data on about anything.
• Improved communication:

DIS:

• Cyber-sickness: With the increased addiction to social networks and internet games, people are spending more time on computers and give up on their normal offline life.  This has resulted into relation breakups and increases loneliness.
• Social implications – access to harmful information which corrupts people’s minds and drives them to commit crime. People use search engines to find information on how to create harmful weapons and how to commit wrong acts in society.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION:

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• Online education has made  educational material and data accessible anywhere.The use of internet technology has opened educational boundaries, this has benefited students from developing countries have a chance to study relevant courses which increases on their chance of getting high paying jobs international.

• New methods of education have been created – Use of educational video games and puzzles has increased students interest in learning. Basing on research, students enjoy learning with technology, many schools have started providing free internet on school campus, this helps students make research and learn as individuals without getting any help from their teachers.

DIS :

• Over dependence on information  technology makes students less active and innovative. Students no longer take time to solve equation and tasks, all they do is query that task in a search engine and a solution will be provided.
• Poor publications online: This exposes student’s t wrong information which results into failure of exams. Many online publishers post content for monetary purposes, so you find that most the content published online is not well detailed to help students and researchers.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN BANKING

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• Online Banking: Many banks have integrated advanced information technology systems to improve on their customer service. Today, it is very easy to withdraw money  using an ATM card or smart money card, this saves customers from wasting time lining up in banks.
• Fast Credit: Technology used in banks helps in gathering of financial details and credit scores about each customer, the information gathered can be used when a customer applies for credit in that bank.
• RFID Payment

DIS:

Money Laundering: Cases of online money laundering are on the rise and this has exposed many online users to the predators.

3 EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TOOLS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Medialink – Wireless N Broadband Router

Information technology deals with processing of information using various technological tools. As a must, we need to use internet to transfer and access processed data remotely, so this Medialink – Wireless N Broadband Router  is a basic information technology tool, it can be used at your workplace or classroom to enable every one access wireless internet. You don’t need to have network cables to access internet at work or in the classroom, simply use this advanced Medialink – Wireless N Broadband Router to access wireless internet. You don’t have to worry about technical details, this Medialink – Wireless N Broadband Router  comes with a Setup Wizard Guide which will take you through a step by step process until the all installation is complete. Learn more about this New advanced broadband router from here….

 Kaspersky Internet Security – 3 Users

Information technology tools like internet are not safe, so it is better to use a well trusted anti-virus to secure your data. During the process of making research online or opening attachments sent via electronic mail, your computer and data will be exposed to harmful programs, but when you use a powerful anti-virus,like this Kaspersky Internet Security , all infected websites and files will be blocked, it is a good security tool for small businesses and students. Learn more about this Kaspersky Internet Security from here…..

 WiFi Wireless Network USB Adapter:

If you own a laptop, you can easily use this WiFi Wireless Network USB Adapter to access internet from anywhere. It is slim in size and it is compatible with any computer or notebook. Get rid of wires in your office or home , installing this WiFi Wireless Network USB Adapter is very easy, it comes with a CD which will install the software to enable this WiFi Wireless Network USB Adapter work efficiently, after the installation, plug and play the device to access wireless internet. 

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WeChat

WeChat

If you live outside of China, it's unlikely that you use — or perhaps have even heard of – WeChat. But with more than 600 million users, it's one of the largest messaging apps in the world.

One of the keys to WeChat's success is that it's actually much more than just a messaging app.

You can use WeChat to do just about anything — play games, send money to people, make video calls, hail a taxi, order food, buy movie tickets, read the news, book a doctor appointment, and more. For millions of people in China, it's the first app they open in the morning and the last one they look at before bed.

Typical day of a WeChat user. pic.twitter.com/WcKLBCxaiJ

— Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) October 28, 2015

WeChat is the all-in-one app experience done right, and it "points to where Facebook and other messaging apps could head," according to Connie Chan, a partner at the prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone

Snapchat

Getty Images/Peter Macdiarmid

With more than 100 million daily active users and a primary audience of 18 to 24-year-olds, Snapchat is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.

The app’s premise (and Snapchat is just an app — there is no web interface) is the idea of ephemeral messaging: once a message, or “snap,” is viewed, it disappears forever.

Its 25-year-old CEO Evan Spiegel has a portrait of Steve Jobs hanging in his office, and he has a grand vision for his multi-billion dollar startup.In essence, “It’s all about talking with pictures and expressing yourself in the moment."

But Snapchat is also about consuming media. The app’s Discover section features interactive content from a range of publishers, including BuzzFeed, Mashable, CNN, People, and Vice. The goal seems to be keeping Snapchat’s users in the app as long as possible — and it’s working.

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android

Uber

Thomson Reuters

No app exemplifies the burgeoning on-demand app economy more than Uber, which made hailing a ride with a smartphone app go mainstream. Tap a button to summon a car, type in where you want to go in the app, and pay for the ride with your credit card you have stored.

If the company has its way, Uber could eventually become the way we get everything from our packages to our groceries.

The app can get you a ride in 58 countries and 300 cities worldwide, but it's also experimenting with other services in a smaller number of cities.

UberEATS, the company's meal delivery service, is already delivering lunch in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto, and the UberRUSH delivery service works in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android

Shyp

Shyp

Shyp takes the hassle out of mailing stuff, and if it has the potential to upend the entire shipping industry.

Using the mobile app, you take a picture of whatever you want to mail, and a Shyp courier comes to your door and takes it to a nearby facility where it's expertly packaged and sent on its way.

The app's most recent update lets you associate an address with a username, so people can send you things by entering only your name. There's also a built-in package tracker that works for senders and Shyp recipients.

By taking your interactions with the post office out of the equation, Shyp has proven that it delivers an experience people want. If it ever controls how items are transported (right now it relies on carriers like UPS and FedEx) and delivered (Shyp's couriers only do pickups), it could change an industry, just like Uber has done for transportation.

So far, the startup is only operational in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco, but the company told Tech Insider that it's seeing 20% growth in new customers every month.

Price: Free to download, with a flat $5 fee on all shipments plus the normal shipping rate
Available on: iOS, Android

Slack

Slack

Slack may not actually kill email, but the multi-billion dollar startup is certainly making it easier to communicate without it.

If you're unfamiliar with the app that's quickly revolutionizing how businesses operate, think of Slack like the modern equivalent of an internet chat room for teams. Log in to communicate with your colleagues in public channels or private groups, share files, and more.

The app is geared toward businesses large and small that need a way for their employees to communicate internally, and it’s hugely popular. Other apps and services can integrate directly with Slack too, which makes it kind of like a command center for getting stuff done at work.

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android, web

Lark

Lark

Lark uses a mix of artificial intelligence and human experts to help people lose weight and get fitter. The app helps you track your workouts and meals, and has a texting interface to make it seem like you’re communicating one-on-one with a personal health coach.

The idea is to take the complexity out of tracking meals and exercises. Just tell Lark what you had to eat and it will give you nutrition coaching based on your goals and past eating habits.

The app also uses your smartphone and Apple Watch’s sensors to track your workouts for you.

Lark was named Forrester Research’s most innovative digital health product of the year. The app is free to use and offers enterprise pricing for coaching teams or patients and working with health care providers.

“We use artificial intelligence to clone some of the world’s best health experts," Lark founder Julia Hu told Tech Insider, referencing MBA coaches and behavior change experts from Harvard and Stanford that work at her startup. "The idea is to make those people your personal coach. We really make it personal.”

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android

Duolingo

Duolingo

Duolingo tries to make learning another language more of an approachable process with game-like lessons.

The app breaks down the language learning process into easily digestible exercises that are designed to motive you with points and unlockable power-ups. The service itself is completely free and doesn’t require you to drop cash as you learn.

The goal is to make you fluent in one of Duolingo's 13 supported languages, and the app will even remind you to brush up on lessons you didn’t score so well on the first time.

Last year, Duolingo launched its own certification test for schools to evaluate language proficiency. Proctors can access a phone's camera and microphone to monitor a student during the test, and the startup is offering its learning platform for entire classrooms to take advantage of.

"When you talk to people using Duolingo, they usually say 'I'm playing Duolingo,'" Duolingo creator Luis von Ahn told Business Insider last year. "If you ask people the main reason they're using Duolingo, it's not because they're learning something but because it's fun."

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android

Google Photos

Google

Google Photos is the best app for managing and storing your photos in the cloud, period.

Its interface is super easy to understand, and it has features that your camera roll doesn't, like facial recognition and the ability to search for what's in a photo by simply describing it in a search box.

100 million people are using the app now, and for good reason: when available device storage is at an all-time low for many smartphone users, Google Photos offers cheap, flexible plans to keep your photos and videos stored on its servers.

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android

Airbnb

Airbnb

Thanks to Airbnb, it's never been easier to find a cheap place to stay nearly anywhere in the world.

Don't believe us? Download the app and plug in where you want to go. You'll likely see all kinds of places from hosts renting out their guestrooms or entire homes. (You may even find a castle, farm, or tree house.) 

The app has helpful search filters and in-app messaging for contacting hosts, and takes a lot of the stress out of finding a place to stay.

Traditional hotels are so worried by Airbnb, which is often much cheaper than a hotel room, that some are trying to make their rooms "feel more like residences rather than hotel suites."

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android

Foursquare

Foursquare

Once the top app for checking into places and rating them with reviews, Foursquare almost faded into obscurity with the rise of Yelp.

But Foursquare is going through a renaissance. Since breaking its check-in-based social network out into a separate app called Swarm, the main app has become better than ever.

Not only does Foursquare have a wealth of community feedback on restaurants around the world (try searching "free WiFi" next time you're trying to find a coffee shop), but its use of push notifications to aid in the discovery of new places is unmatched.

Price: Free
Available on: iOS, Android

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What is Information Technology Security?

          Security is a basic human concept that has become more difficult to define and enforce in the Information Age. In primitive societies, security was limited to ensuring the safety of the group's members and protecting physical resources, like food and water. As society has grown more complex, the significance of sharing and securing the important resource of information has increased. Before the proliferation of modern communications, information security was limited to controlling physical access to oral or written communications. The importance of information security led societies to develop innovative ways of protecting their information. For example, the Roman Empire's military wrote sensitive messages on parchments that could be dissolved in water after they had been read. Military history provides another more recent example of the importance of information security. Decades after World War II ended, it was revealed that the Allies had gained an enormous advantage by deciphering both the German and Japanese encryption codes early in the conflict. Recent innovations in information technology, like the Internet, have made it possible to send vast quantities of data across the globe with ease. However, the challenge of controlling and protecting that information has grown exponentially now that data can be easily transmitted, stored, copied, manipulated, and destroyed.

Within a large organization information technology generally refers to laptop and desktop computers, servers, routers, and switches that form a computer network, although information technology also includes fax machines, phone and voice mail systems, cellular phones, and other electronic systems. A growing reliance on computers to work and communicate has made the control of computer networks an important part of information security. Unauthorized access to paper documents or phone conversations is still an information security concern, but the real challenge has become protecting the security of computer networks, especially when they are connected to the Internet. Most large organizations have their own local computer network, or intranet, that links their computers together to share resources and support the communications of employees and others with a legitimate need for access. Almost all of these networks are connected to the Internet and allow employees to go "online."

Information technology security is controlling access to sensitive electronic information so only those with a legitimate need to access it are allowed to do so. This seemingly simple task has become a very complex process with systems that need to be continually updated and processes that need to constantly be reviewed. There are three main objectives for information technology security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. Confidentiality is protecting access to sensitive data from those who don't have a legitimate need to use it. Integrity is ensuring that information is accurate and reliable and cannot be modified in unexpected ways. The availability of data ensures that is readily available to those who need to use it (Feinman et. al., 1999).

Information technology security is often the challenge of balancing the demands of users versus the need for data confidentiality and integrity. For example, allowing employees to access a network from a remote location, like their home or a project site, can increase the value of the network and efficiency of the employee. Unfortunately, remote access to a network also opens a number of vulnerabilities and creates difficult security challenges for a network administrator.

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              Computer Programming

           Computer programming (often shortened to programming) is a process that leads from an original formulation of a computing problem to executable computer programs. Programming involves activities such as analysis, developing understanding, generating algorithms, verification of requirements of algorithms including their correctness and resources consumption, and implementation (commonly referred to as coding^[1][2]) of algorithms in a target programming language. Source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to find a sequence of instructions that will automate performing a specific task or solving a given problem. The process of programming thus often requires expertise in many different subjects, including knowledge of the application domain, specialized algorithms, and formal logic.

Related tasks include testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code, implementation of the build system, and management of derived artifacts such as machine code of computer programs. These might be considered part of the programming process, but often the term software development is used for this larger process with the term programming, implementation, or coding reserved for the actual writing of source code. Software engineering combines engineering techniques with software development practices

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A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, maintenance, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers or anything containing software work.

About half of all practitioners today have degrees in computer science, information systems, or information technology. A small, but growing, number of practitioners have software engineering degrees. In 1987, Imperial College London introduced the first three-year software engineering Bachelor's degree in the UK and the world; in the following year, the University of Sheffield established a similar program.^[2] In 1996, the Rochester Institute of Technology established the first software engineering bachelor's degree program in the United States, however, it did not obtain ABET accreditation until 2003, the same time as Rice University, Clarkson University, Milwaukee School of Engineering and Mississippi State University obtained theirs.^[3] In 1997, PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore, India was the first to start a five-year integrated Master of Science degree in Software Engineering.^{[citation needed]}

Since then, software engineering undergraduate degrees have been established at many universities. A standard international curriculum for undergraduate software engineering degrees was recently^[when?] defined by the CCSE. As of 2004, in the U.S., about 50 universities offer software engineering degrees, which teach both computer science and engineering principles and practices. The first software engineering Master's degree was established at Seattle University in 1979. Since then graduate software engineering degrees have been made available from many more universities. Likewise in Canada, the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers has recognized several software engineering programs.

In 1998, the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) established the first doctorate program in Software Engineering in the world.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, many online advanced degrees in Software Engineering have appeared such as the Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSE) degree offered through the Computer Science and Engineering Department at California State University, Fullerton. Steve McConnell opines that because most universities teach computer science rather than software engineering, there is a shortage of true software engineers.^[4] ETS University and UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal) were mandated by IEEE to develop the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK), which has become an ISO standard describing the body of knowledge covered by a software engineer.^[5]

Other degrees[edit]

In business, some software engineering practitioners have MIS or computer information systems degrees. In embedded systems, some have electrical engineering, electronics engineering, computer science with emphasis in "embedded systems" or computer engineering degrees, because embedded software often requires a detailed understanding of hardware. In medical software, practitioners may have medical informatics, general medical, or biology degrees.^{[citation needed]}

Some practitioners have mathematics, science, engineering, or technology degrees. Some have philosophy (logic in particular) or other non-technical degrees.^{[citation needed]}For instance, Barry Boehm earned degrees in mathematics. And, others have no degrees.

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Top 10 Most Expensive Android Smartphones in The World – 2016

August 30, 2016 - Written By Tom Dawson

We all know that new smartphones can be expensive, especially when we add up the overall cost a new Android smartphone is on a 24-month contract. Sure, there are more choices than ever before for customers to get their hands on new Android smartphones, but the fact is that they still cost a fortune. Well, if you thought the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Motorola Moto Z were expensive, you’ll love this list of the 10 most expensive Android smartphones from around the world.

Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley

If you’ve ever come across a story about an expensive smartphone, chances are it was about a Vertu device of some sort. This $9,000 edition for the luxury carmaker Bentley is every bit the luxury you would expect it to be. As an Android smartphone, it features Android 5.1 Lollipop, a Snapdragon 810, 3GB of RAM, a 21-megapixel camera and a 5.2-inch 1080p display. The Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley is finished in Beluga Black and Hotspur Red leather, all lovingly handmade in England, complete with a debossed Bentley logo on the back of the phone. With a hand-polished Titanium casing, this is one classy smartphone, and it also comes with a lifetime concierge service and a 24-hour helpline for whatever you might need. It might not be an Aston Martin phone, but James Bond would certainly be happy with this one.

Mobiado Grand Touch EM Marble

If Titanium and Leather aren’t really your thing, then the Grand Touch EM Marble from Mobiado might be. At $3,100 this is an Android smartphone that’s quite literally crafted from stone, well at least the outside is. The below video gives you an idea of how the device’s casing is created, but on the inside things are a little less exciting. With a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED 720p display, an unnamed processor and a meagre 5.0-megapixel camera with an LED flash, this is far from luxurious on the inside. Of course, the Grand Touch EM Marble is “just” $3,100 and it’s clear most of that money has been spent on the casing of this beauty.

Gresso Regal Gold

If you’re thinking about a gold Android smartphone, the Gresso Regal Gold is probably on your list. At a mere $6,000 or so the Gresso Regal Gold is a bargain, right? Each of these is a limited edition, with only 999 of them being produced, and the rear panel of each device is decorated with real White or Yellow Gold, 3g of the 18K variety. As is often the case here however the insides aren’t all that exciting. There’s an outdated version of Android here, and an unnamed quad-core CPU at 1.5 Ghz with 2GB of RAM seems to be running the show. The 5.0-inch Full HD display and 13.0-megapixel rear-facing camera – as well as the 5.0-megapixel front-facing camera – do make up the specs a little, but it’s not going to turn any heads on what’s on the inside alone here.

Dior Reveries Haute Couture

At £78,000 ($102,222) this Dior smartphone was a very limited affair, and given its massive price tag, it’s not hard to see why. On the inside, there’s little to write home about here, and given that this is a fairly old smartphone at this point, it’s no surprise that the 5.0-megapixel camera and outdated version of Android aren’t that exciting by today’s standards. This super-limited Reveries was all about the diamonds however, and was handmade in France with a whopping 1,539 diamonds as well as 46 pieces of Mother of Pearl to adorn the back and sides of the device. Clearly, this was a device that was designed to turn heads for its outside, not it’s inside and back in 2012 it did just that.

Savelli Jardin-Secret White Ice

This is a smartphone that’s designed “exclusively for women” and it’s not hard to see why. The white croc leather and gold accents look feminine while also coming off as classy. The price tag of $10,000 and up is not to be sniffed at, but considering that this is a handmade beauty there will be some out there willing to pay this sort of money. With a 3.2-inch display, this is a fairly small smartphone by today’s standards, and given that Savelli themselves don’t have much to say about the specs, it’s fair to assume that they aren’t great. With their own SAVELLI OS, designed by professional photographers, based on top of Android users should be in for a real treat, especially if they can get past that massive price tag.

Sirin Solarin

Sirin’s Solarin, coming in at a cool $16,000 is a smartphone that is not only expensive, but also ahead of the curve. With a single switch found at the back of the phone, the Solarin becomes a super-secure phone that only allows for phone calls and encrypted messaging, nothing else. On top of this, it’s the first commercially launched device to feature WiGig, a new wireless standard that can offer transfer speeds up to 7 gigabits a second. With a leather back that looks like a Carbon Fiber wrap, the Solarin is available in a gold finish as well, and with a Snapdragon 810 and up-to-date security patches, the Solarin is one hell of a luxurious smartphone, and one that actually has up-to-date software as well as a great 23.8-megapixel camera.

Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri

Lamborghini has always been a name associated with cars that are not only super-powerful, but also a status symbol. Named after Tonino Lamborghini, the founder, Feruccio’s son, there are only 1947 of these in the world, done so for the year that Tonino himself was born. With a quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 20-megapixel rear-facing camera and an 8.0-megapixel front-facing camera, with a 5.0-inch Full HD display to ogle at, these specs aren’t too bad. For $6,000 however, many of you might have been expecting a little more from it, but with the steel and leather construction, as well as Dual-SIM powers, the Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri has more going for it than some on this list.

Goldvish Eclipse

Starting at $7,700 or so, the Goldvish Eclipse is one hell of a smartphone. Swiss-made, with CyanogenMod 13 onboard, giving it Android 6.0 Marshmallow (a first for this list), the Eclipse has a lot to offer. Even more so when we take a look at the respectable spec sheet, which gives us a Snapdragon 801, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 5.5-inch Full HD display and a 13.0-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5.0-megapixel front-facing camera. This is an interesting inclusion on this list, and what makes it so luxurious, beyond its Swiss-made claim to fame is the precious real leather and Titanium frame on the back of the device.

Vertu Aster Collection

The Vertu Collection is a range of high-end luxury products from Vertu that offer users the option of a Titanium finish in a number of different colors and leathers, some of which are quite colorful. Starting at $7,000, the Aster Collection ships with a Quad-Core Snapdragon 801 on the inside, as well as a 13.0-megapixel rear-facing camera and sound tuned by Bang & Olufsen this ticks a lot of the right boxes. It does however, carry an outdated Android 4.4.4 KitKat onboard, and it’s not exactly the speediest out there by today’s standards. Still, for a luxury smartphone that offers color choices, and also offers the same concierge and access to the luxury life as the Vertu Signature Touch line, this is nothing to be sniffed at.

Aston Martin Racing 808

Bentley may have partnered with Vertu for their smartphone, but Aston Martin are going it alone. The 808 is a $6,000 smartphone, going up to $24,000 if you choose to add some real diamonds in and features a Snapdragon 801 and 2GB of RAM. With a 720p 4.7-inch display, and a 13-megapixel camera, there’s not much to write home about here in the long run, especially given the bone stock build of Android 5.0 Lollipop onboard here. With a bulky design and a ceramic earpiece, this is one luxurious smartphone that’s bound to turn heads, and it’ll be hard to pass up if you’re a James Bond fan.

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