Smooth Operator: Porsche Design releases new P'9522 phone

Say what you will about Porsche's automotive design, its product design is at the cutting edge of style and technology. The company's merchandizing division, Porsche Design, has just upped the ante with its latest release, the P'9522 mobile phone.

Unlike Porsche Design's previous phone, the slick P'9521 clamshell, the P'9522 is designed around a straightforward "candy-bar" form factor, milled from a solid block of aluminum with a scratch-resistant touchscreen glass display. Avoiding getting your fingerprints all over this slick piece of tech would be an exercise in futility, so Porsche Design has incorporated a fingerprint reader to keep unwelcome users out. The P'9522 also features a five-megapixel camera with flash, GPS module, stereo MP3 player, WiFi and quad-band antennas for use around the world (except Japan and Korea). At €600 (approx. $774), it ain't cheap, but it's about half the price of the P'9521 flip-phone.

To celebrate the launch of the new phone, Porsche Design has commissioned nine photographers from around the world to shoot the P'9522 (though presumably not with the phone's built-in camera). The photos will appear in a travel exhibition touring the world, but you can see them all in the gallery below along with the more straightforward shots of the phone from every angle, with full details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Porsche Design] PRESS RELEASE

Mobile Phone P'9522: Purist design and technical precision

Porsche Design Group (Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG) is introducing its new mobile phone P'9522. The mobile phone, available now in Porsche Design Stores and in specialist shops, is blending a linear shape with innovative communications technology.

The Porsche Design P'9522 is milled from a single solid aluminum block and a single sheet of scratchproof glass, its finish is pure and sleek. The rough, raw materials used to build the P'9522 have been crafted to underscore the refined design. In combination with its quintessential black and brushed aluminum finish, the P'9522 represents the timeless and authentic design philosophy of the brand. The P'9522 has the very latest communications technology together with excellent sound and picture reproduction:

- Display. The touchscreen display makes navigating through the menus smooth, easy and intuitive. The AM OLED display ensures top quality color reproduction and brightness.

- Mobile navigation. The phone has a built-in GPS receiver for mobile navigation purposes. The 2.8 inch widescreen display makes it easy to read the information on the screen.

- Finger print sensor. Access to personal data is secured by means of a sensor which identifies the user's finger print.

- Pictures and video. The P'9522 is equipped with a stills and video camera with auto focus. The camera has a resolution of five megapixels, integrated flash and digital zoom.

- Music. The P'9522 is equipped with an MP3 player for music, ring tones and voice reproduction in stereo quality.

- Internet. Speedy internet access is assured, thanks to the P'9522's WiFi technology.

- Quad band. This is a quad band cell phone, compatible with most global networks (with the exception of Japan and Korea).

The P'9522 thus reflects the brand's clear design language and lives up to its promise of blending together high quality materials, top of the range workmanship and innovative technology.

Porsche Design is a luxury brand with particular focus on technically inspired products. The brand was founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, and since then its products have stood for functional, timeless and purist design. The product portfolio includes classic men's accessories, a sport and fashion collection as well as electronic products and a men's fragrance range. The products are designed in the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See, Austria, and sold worldwide in own stores, shop-in-shops, high quality department stores and exclusive retail outlets.

Nine Artists Photographs

The P'9522 is both a premium cell phone and a design accessory. Its pure and timeless design have provided the inspiration to nine international photographers to produce works which reflect the combination of design, luxury and technology, while at the same time preserving the style of the original artists.

The works are on display at the «Porsche Design Mobile Phone Experiences» exhibition. The traveling exhibition will take place in Paris, Lisbon, Milan, Hamburg, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong and Dubai between September and November 2008