Mobile phones have become something of a status symbol so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to hear that Motorola plans to release a ultra high-end phone.

“High end” in terms of phones generally means you will pay around $1000 for the handset. However Motorola is taking it to extremes with the Aura, which is expected to be priced at around $3000 when it arrives in Australia in December.

How is the manufacturer justifying that jaw-dropping price tag? Well, it isn’t for the reasons you might expect. First there is the circular LCD display, which is covered with a sapphire crystal lens to protect it from scratches.

Then there is the opening mechanism, which is a rare rotator design. It uses 130 ball bearings to open smoothly.

When it all boils down, those two elements are what you’re paying for here, as the feature set is very basic. There is a 2-megapixel camera and 2GB of memory but not much else - no 3G, Wi-Fi or anything else we’ve come to expect from the higher (and even middle) range of mobile phones.

This phone is obviously going to appeal to anyone with some excess cash to burn, but for the rest of us, will just be a pipe dream.

Click here to find offers on Motorola mobile phones from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes