Watch out Nokia Vertu, because there’s now another ridiculously priced handset on the market. Designer Christian Dior is to launch a line of bling-encrusted phones priced at up to $5000 (£2541/€3179).

Christian Dior's phone range: set to be exclusive... and expensive

The designer’s phones, like many designer phones to date, will be manufactured by French firm ModeLabs. Little is known about the range’s tech specs yet, but it’s been confirmed that the clamshell phones will be available in several different colours, each featuring a touchscreen and camera.

According to a report on Moconews.net, a smaller phone, about the size of a USB key, will be thrown in too, which users clip onto the outside of a handbag/manbag and use to communicate with the physical phone – for some unknown reason.

Christian Dior will probably let customers try out the phone by appointment only, you know, to keep the high-street handset riff-raff away.