Caviar has opened pre-orders for an iPhone Ultra that, at the time of writing, does not officially exist.
That is probably the most important detail here.
Apple has not announced an iPhone Ultra, has not confirmed its final design, has not revealed storage options, and has not told anyone what it will cost. Yet luxury customisation company Caviar is already happy to take orders for several wildly expensive versions of the rumoured device, including a Liquid Metal edition starting at $18,840.
So yes, you can apparently spend nearly $19,000 on a customised version of a phone Apple has not unveiled yet. Technology is doing great.
Caviar appears to be working from the same ecosystem of leaks, CAD drawings, supplier information and industry expectations that usually surrounds major iPhone launches. The company expects the iPhone Ultra to arrive in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB configurations, but those details remain predictions rather than confirmed specifications.
The Liquid Metal version is built around a sterling silver exterior with a highly polished finish and sculpted detailing. Other models use gold, titanium, leather and silver, with prices starting at around $13,840. There is also a Steve Jobs-themed edition featuring an engraved representation of his signature, because apparently buying an unreleased luxury iPhone was not quite exclusive enough.
To be fair, this is not unusual territory for Caviar. The company regularly announces customised versions of high-profile phones before the manufacturers themselves have finished announcing the actual phones. It also sells heavily modified Samsung foldables, including gold-plated models inspired by Scarface and The Godfather.
Still, the iPhone Ultra situation deserves an especially large asterisk.
Rumours have linked the Ultra name with Apple’s long-discussed foldable iPhone, but Apple has not confirmed that branding, form factor, specifications or launch details. Until it does, Caviar is effectively selling a luxury interpretation of what it believes Apple is about to release.
That does not necessarily mean buyers would end up with the wrong product. Companies operating in this space can adapt their custom designs once final retail hardware becomes available. But it does mean anyone placing an order now is making a very expensive bet on information that Apple itself has not validated.
And this is where our advice becomes refreshingly simple: do not rush.
If you are genuinely considering spending somewhere between $13,000 and $19,000 on an iPhone, waiting for Apple to confirm that the phone actually exists feels like a reasonable first step. Maybe even wait for the specifications. Perhaps a review. Possibly hold it in your hand. We are setting the bar very high here.
Caviar’s listings are certainly eye-catching, and they offer another entertaining glimpse into the strange luxury economy that has grown around flagship smartphones. But until Apple takes the stage and makes the iPhone Ultra official, this remains an exceptionally expensive pre-order for an exceptionally unofficial product.
