Sony announced a limited-edition of its Xperia P smartphone encased in 24 karat gold—with emphasis on limited. Only 15 of the devices have been produced, one of which will be given away to a Facebook user through a competitive “scavenger hunt” Sony is running on the site. Facebookers can enter the contest by “liking” the Sony Mobile profile and hunting for golden coins hidden on company Web pages.

The Xperia P has a four-inch touchscreen, similar in size to the iPhone 5, and operates on the Android OS. It also supports Near Field Communication, which allows owners to make contactless payments. The device uses a dual core 1GHz processor and has 1GB or ram. It includes 16 GB of storage, of which 13 GB is available for saving content, and an 8MP rear camera. It is not, however, Sony’s premier Xperia model, a title held by the Xperia T device featured in the new James Bond film.

According to the official Sony Mobile blog, the concept of a gold-plated handset originated during a company creative session. Sony believes the metal complements the Xperia P’s sleep unibody design and its aluminum back panel.

Samantha Lile

Samantha Lile is a 2002 Missouri State University graduate of journalism and mass media. She has served as a reporter and editor for various newspapers throughout her journalism career. She made the leap into writing full-time after working for a major financial institution since 2000.

Because of her banking background, Samantha is knowledgeable in finance reporting, but is also strong in commentaries, personal profiles, youth studies, horticulture, history and entertainment-related works.

Samantha lives in Ozark, Mo. with her husband of nine years, four dogs and two cats.

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