Customized phones for the masses

Now the masses can have customized cell phones just like the super rich do. Agenda writes about ModeLabs, one of the companies that makes customized cell phones, using well known branded phones and equipping them with extra functions that will appeal to niche customers. ModeLabs which makes the Elite phone, targets girls of the age 11-17 and prices its cell phone at 190 euros, while its MTV Networks phone is targeted at the 15-35 age group and costs 279 euros. ModeLabs sells only a limited number of its products, sometimes as less as just 10,000 phones of one model.

ModeLabs forecasts that branded products like those it makes for Elite, MTV and other clients will account for 19 percent of the total cellphone market in 2011, compared with less than 0.5 percent today.

"We are really at the beginning of this market for custom phones, but the demand is definitely there," Bohbot said. "We saw a window because the mobile phone manufacturing business has changed a lot from just five years ago. In 2001 you had 15 different companies making phones. Now you have five big ones that dominate, so there is less choice if you want to differentiate yourself."