Usually, people get free budget cases when they buy a high-end phone, but an online commerce platform in China is turning that concept on its head, offering a high-end phone to anyone who purchases a collectible, gold-plated iPhone 17 Max phone case.
Dubbed “Au99.99 Gold,” the limited-edition series of iPhone 17 Max phone cases comes in a variety of weights, from 10 grams, all the way to 100 grams. Obviously, the more gold used to make the case, the more expensive it is, with the heaviest one costing a whopping 139,999 yuan ($20,000). That’s the kind of money most people would spend on a car, not a phone case, but JD.com found a way to sweeten the deal.
If you’re entertaining the idea of dropping $20,000 on an iPhone 17 Max case, you probably already have the phone, but just in case you don’t, or have been thinking of getting a new one, JD.com is throwing in a brand new Apple flagship phone with each purchase of the 100-gram Au99.99 Gold phone case.
One thing to keep in mind when splurging on these phone cases is that the gold-plating has been known to interfere with wireless charging, causing phones to overheat.
JD.com has yet to reveal if anyone actually spent $20,000 on its 100-gram gold-plated phone case, but the 10-gram version is reportedly sold out, and several people have so far shown off their 30-gram cases on social media. At 38,999 yuan ($5,650), those aren’t exactly cheap either.
