Caviar's $5,980 gold-plated Galaxy S22s are covered in crocodile leather

If you’ve ever wanted to deck out your new smartphone in gold, crocodile leather, titanium or carbon fiber, Caviar has you covered. The company has developed a reputation for plastering an ungodly amount of gold and exotic leathers onto things like AirPods and PS5s, and has just dropped its lineup of custom Samsung Galaxy S22s.

If you thought the starting price tag of $800 for the Galaxy S22s was a lot, well, let’s just say you might not be the target demographic for Caviar’s creations. The customized S22s start at $5,980 for the cheapest skin in a base model Galaxy S22 with 128GB of storage and top out all the way at $7,830 for a Galaxy S22 Ultra with 512GB of storage. So for nearly 12 times the cost of a plain old Galaxy S22, you get the same thing but made with the “highest quality materials,” according to Caviar.

With a name like Caviar, we shouldn’t be surprised that they’re using gold “of the highest standard,” exotic leathers and diamonds in their products. They even went so far as to incorporate materials from space into two custom Nike Air Force 1s.

Ultra-expensive — For the most affordable option at $5,980, you get Caviar’s Titanium model of the Galaxy S22 with 128GB that is built with titanium and accents of carbon fiber. If you’re looking to drop a little more cash, you can always upgrade to a Galaxy S22+ or the Galaxy S22 Ultra and include more internal storage for each trim. For example, the most expensive Ocelot model as a Galaxy S22 Ultra with 512GB comes in at $7,830.

In between those options, Caviar also put out a Drive model, starting at $6,370, that’s inspired by sports cars and mostly made of carbon fiber elements. The company incorporated black crocodile skin into its Victory model, which starts at $6,220, and beige crocodile skin into its Bird of Prey version that starts at $6,370.

And if you’re really trying to impress at your next Great Gatsby-themed party, there’s also a model that’s made with 24K gold and titanium and has a geometric design that’s inspired by Art Deco from the 20s and 30s. The Great Gatsby model starts at $6,450.

Limited availability — I’m not sure if it’s more justification for the absurd cost, but all of Caviar’s custom S22s are limited edition with only 99 of each custom phone available. If you’re actually going to buy one, the delivery may take one to four months for U.S. and Canadian customers and you’ll most likely have to pay a customs tax since they’re coming from Russia.

We may all be balking at this gaudy creation, but this category of smart luxury accessories seems to be growing more and more. Recently, Gucci revealed a $980 designer case for Apple’s AirPods Max and Hermès collaborated with Apple for a designer smartwatch that starts at $1,299. As for Caviar’s blinged-out Galaxy S22s, you better hope you don’t drop it. But, then the real question is do you slap on a $20 phone case onto this $6,000 luxury phone?