Apple’s AirPods have just gotten an insane upgrade that has increased the value of the company’s wireless earbuds to a whopping $20,000, according to a report from Cult of Mac .
The lavish buds were created by Los Angeles designer Ian Delucca as a part of his “New Materialism” art series, which aims to “guide us into new relationships with the material world” by combining art and commerce. Delucca’s AirPods, dubbed Object No. 1, have been covered in white gold and embellished with over 1,0000 individual VVS natural-mined diamonds. The artist has only created 25 pairs of the buds and each set has been carefully inscribed with an edition number and creation date. Each pair of AirPods will also include a charging stand made of marble, instead of Apple’s usual charging cases.
According to a report from HYPEBEAST , those interested in the Object No. 1 AirPods can contact Delucca directly via his Instagram account, where they’ll be able to purchase the earbuds before they’re officially released to the public.
While Delucca’s creation may sound expensive to some, the AirPods actually fall on the cheaper side when compared to similar lux gadgets, including other Apple products. In fact, Caviar, a company based in Russia that regularly churns out gold-plated and diamond-encrusted devices, recently designed an Apple Watch with a $43,000 price tag, according to a report from Cult of Mac .
Los Angeles-based designer Ian Delucca has crafted a set of diamond-encrusted AirPods. The wireless earphones have been decorated in 1,000 VVS diamonds. They are limited to just 25 units and are priced at $20,000 USD each. Photo: Ian Delucca pic.twitter.com/XhBhHHCl01
— HYPEBEAST (@HYPEBEAST) July 18, 2019
These flashy creations are often a huge hit with the rich and famous. Earlier this year, rapper Drake decided he had to get his hands on an opulent iPhone and enlisted the help of a jeweler to cover the case of his iPhone X in blue diamonds and white gold. Drake’s new bling set the rapper back around $400,000, according to a report from Page Six .
On the cheaper side, there are several companies creating unique gadgets for the everyday consumer. ColorWare, a company that was founded in 2000 by CEO Justin Cisewski, has dedicated itself to creating “custom-made, on-demand electronic devices” for customers all over the world, as previously reported by The Inquisitr .
As for Apple, the company may not be looking to add bling to its AirPods right now, but there are several reports indicating that there will be a third iteration of the popular wireless earbuds coming later this year. The AirPods 3 could come equipped with noise cancellation and be totally water-resistance, unlike the current models, according to a report from Mashable .
It’s also believed that the new AirPods will come with a redesigned look and more color options.