When we heard Motorola were launching their new luxury handset, AURA – based all around traditional craftmanship and design, we jumped at the chance to collaborate. The opportunity led us to a dream job, commissioning and creatively working with one of the world's top and most recognised architects, Ben Van Berkel and his prestigious UNStudio based in Holland. 

 

Motorola wanted a launch that would actually become an installation for anyone to see and essentially bring to life the inspiration, creativity and bearings of AURA. The phone is a tiny mobile – on todays standards – and reflects the fine craftsmanship of the best stainless steel watch. It features the world’s first round screen with casing that takes close to two weeks to forge from a piece of raw steel into the sculpted etched and polished final product. 

AURA takes phones back to basics – you may sigh, but apparently communication trends will see people prefer a more conventional way to communicate... talk.

 

The case opens on an axis of 180 degrees composed of over 200 finely tuned individual parts – just like clock movements. "It's a beautiful piece, it kind of reminds me of Alice In Wonderland." say Jim Wicks, Moto's Head of Design. "AURA is really [created] for people who not only appreciate design but really seek out a higher level of craftsmanship and premium finishes in the types of products they purchase. It's kind of going back to this thing that we really felt people kind of yearning for, a feeling that we believed they've lost...to recapture that sense of artistry and romance in a product."