When Æsir, a Copenhagen-based company that is creating a new genre of handset design, considered their strong commitment to realizing the designer's vision, in this case Yves Behar, no matter how exacting it might be, they called on us at PDT.
"The key to this project was building a phone from the outside in," said Thomas Moller Jensen, Æsir CEO, "which is a revolutionary concept for the market." Built with a focus on craftsmanship in an industry pushing warp-speed obsolescence, we engineered the Æ+Y to be a quality, long-lasting alternative in a market where phones are typically replaced when the next version hits the shelf.
The challenges were plentiful: from unique materials like 18 ct solid gold and sapphire crystal to 20 miniature screws, precision was paramount. We developed a range of highly functional development prototypes early on in the program to test and validate important functions of the product with potential clients and ensure the precise, refined device worked flawlessly.
This is the world's first ceramic mobile phone case of its size with virtually no visible split line.
The phone took more than two and a half years to develop and over 7,000 hours of engineering time. Æ+Y will cost about $10,250 USD. We are thrilled to be working with Æsir right now to develop their next line of mobile phones – stay tuned!