Caviar

Caviar, officially associated with Lux Trading Corporation LLC, is a luxury consumer-device manufacturer and retailer specializing in highly customized smartphones and related electronics. The company is particularly identified with modified Apple iPhones, although its broader work has included other consumer devices. Rather than competing primarily through operating-system features or mass-market distribution, Caviar differentiates its products through collectible design, precious materials, limited production, and conspicuous craftsmanship. The company began in the early 2010s in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. In April 2011 it introduced its first luxury handmade smartphone, establishing a business model centered on transforming commercially available smartphones into bespoke or limited-edition objects. Its designs have used gold, diamonds, natural leather, carbon fiber, jewelry enamel, and other decorative materials. Some editions have incorporated unusual elements such as fragments presented as meteorites or pieces of other rare artifacts. This approach positioned Caviar near the luxury-accessory and collectible-design sectors as much as within conventional mobile-phone retail. During the 2010s, Caviar attracted increasing media attention as a company comparable in prestige positioning to Vertu, but with a different product logic. Vertu was historically associated with purpose-built luxury mobile phones, whereas Caviar became known for customizing current flagship smartphones, especially Apple devices. This allowed the brand to combine recognizable mainstream hardware with highly differentiated exterior materials and symbolic themes. The resulting products were generally aimed at affluent collectors, gift buyers, public figures, and customers seeking exclusivity rather than technical necessity. The brand also became associated with politically themed and personality-driven designs. In October 2016, Caviar produced a limited-edition iPhone 7 using Damascus steel and a gold bas-relief portrait of Vladimir Putin. The edition reinforced the company's public association with Russia and demonstrated its willingness to treat smartphones as commemorative or ideological luxury objects, not merely fashion accessories. Publicly mentioned customers have included Marques Brownlee, Alexander Ovechkin, and Lewis Hilsenteger, although the available reference material does not establish the extent or dates of their purchases. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Caviar's business structure was divided in April 2022 into Caviar Russia, serving the domestic Russian market, and Caviar International, based in Dubai and serving markets outside Russia. The two entities were described as largely independent while retaining some collaboration on selected studies and projects. This reorganization is an important turning point because it separated the brand's Russian domestic operations from its international commercial platform and gave the international business a United Arab Emirates base. Caviar's identity therefore rests on the intersection of luxury goods, smartphone customization, jewelry-like fabrication, and limited-edition storytelling. Its commercial proposition is not the development of a separate mobile operating system or a mass-market device platform, but the transformation of familiar consumer electronics into scarce, highly ornamental products. The available material does not provide reliable figures for revenue, production volume, current leadership, or the exact geographic scope of sales.

Caviar emerged in the early 2010s in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, as a specialist in luxury handmade mobile phones and customized consumer electronics. Its first luxury handmade smartphone was released in April 2011. From the outset, the company focused on modifying existing devices rather than creating an entirely separate handset platform. The approach allowed it to use current commercial smartphones as a base while applying luxury materials, handwork, ornamental design, and limited-edition themes. The company's material vocabulary has included gold, diamonds, natural leather, carbon, jewelry enamel, and other decorative substances. Some designs have also incorporated unusual materials or claims of rare provenance, including pieces described as real meteorites or other artifacts. These treatments made Caviar's products closer to collectible luxury objects than ordinary phone accessories. The value proposition was based on scarcity, visual differentiation, craftsmanship, and symbolism, while the underlying electronics remained associated with established consumer-device manufacturers. During the 2010s, Caviar received growing media attention and was often compared with Vertu. The comparison reflected both brands' focus on affluent customers and luxury mobile products, but their models differed. Vertu developed dedicated luxury phones, while Caviar became especially recognized for customizing modern Apple smartphones. This gave Caviar a way to combine the familiarity and technical platform of a current iPhone with an exterior intended for collectors, status-conscious consumers, and buyers of high-value gifts. Caviar's public image also developed through prominent customers and politically themed products. Reference material identifies Marques Brownlee, Alexander Ovechkin, and Lewis Hilsenteger among its customers. In October 2016, the company made a limited iPhone 7 from Damascus steel with a gold bas-relief portrait of Vladimir Putin. The product attracted attention because it combined the brand's luxury fabrication techniques with a highly recognizable political subject, reinforcing Caviar's links to Russia and its willingness to use public figures and national symbolism in product design. A major structural change came in April 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Caviar's activities were split into two organizations: Caviar Russia, serving the Russian home market, and Caviar International, based in Dubai and serving the rest of the world. The two operations were described as largely independent, although they retained some cooperation on particular studies and projects. The split shifted the international-facing part of the business toward the United Arab Emirates while preserving a separate Russian domestic operation. Caviar's history is consequently defined by three overlapping developments: the rise of luxury customization for mainstream smartphones, the use of jewelry and rare-material techniques in consumer electronics, and the separation of Russian and international operations. Publicly available reference material does not establish a complete chronology of ownership, management, financial performance, manufacturing capacity, or present product availability.

• 2022

  Split into Russian and international businesses

  [1]Caviar (company)en.wikipedia.org

  Caviar Russia and Dubai-based Caviar International were established as separate operations after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• 2016

  Putin-themed Damascus-steel iPhone 7

  [1]Caviar (company)en.wikipedia.org

  The company produced a limited iPhone 7 made from Damascus steel and decorated with a gold bas-relief portrait of Vladimir Putin.

• 2011

  First luxury handmade smartphone

  [1]Caviar (company)en.wikipedia.org

  Caviar released its first luxury handmade smartphone in April, establishing its focus on customized high-end mobile devices.

A luxury customization house that turns mainstream smartphones, especially Apple iPhones, into handmade, limited-edition collector pieces using precious materials, elaborate ornamentation, and thematic storytelling.

• Luxury mobile phones · 2011

  Luxury-customized smartphones

  Caviar's core products are existing smartphones transformed through hand-applied luxury treatments. Designs may use gold, diamonds, leather, carbon, jewelry enamel, and other decorative materials. The products are typically presented as limited or exclusive editions, emphasizing craftsmanship, rarity, and visual status rather than changes to the phone's underlying operating system.

• Customized smartphones

  Customized Apple iPhones

  Apple iPhones became Caviar's most recognizable platform. The brand uses commercially available iPhone hardware as the basis for ornate editions aimed at collectors and luxury consumers. Treatments can include precious metals, gemstones, sculptural reliefs, rare materials, and thematic decoration, allowing a familiar flagship device to be marketed as a personalized or collectible object.

• Political and commemorative limited edition · 2016

  Damascus-steel iPhone 7 with Putin portrait

  This limited-edition iPhone 7 used Damascus steel and featured a gold bas-relief portrait of Vladimir Putin. It exemplified Caviar's use of prominent personalities and political symbolism as part of the design narrative for luxury customized electronics.

• 2022

  Separate Russian and international operationsStrategy

  Background

  After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the company faced a changed geopolitical and commercial environment affecting its Russian identity and international business.

  Action taken

  Caviar divided its activities into Caviar Russia for the domestic market and Caviar International, headquartered in Dubai, for markets outside Russia. The entities were described as largely independent, with some continued collaboration on selected projects.

  Aftermath

  The restructuring created separate Russian and international operating identities. Available reference material does not provide financial results or later ownership details.

  Source

• 2026.08.26

  Reported2026.08.28

  Caviar launches Geiger custom iPhone 17 Pro with radiation detector[2]Caviar 推出内置辐射探测器的 Geiger 定制版 iPhone 17 Pro163.com

  Luxury customization brand Caviar announced the Geiger, a custom iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max with an embedded SIG-RM1208 dosimeter module that measures ambient gamma radiation and alerts when a preset threshold is exceeded. The edition is limited to 7 units worldwide, starting at $13,130 for the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro.

• 2026.08.06

  Reported2026.08.07

  Caviar launches limited-edition Odyssey smart glasses[3]Caviar 推出限量版 Odyssey 智能眼镜finance.sina.com.cn

  Caviar launched Odyssey, a limited-edition custom version based on Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses. The collection offers 24K gold and 925 silver versions and is limited to 24 pairs.

• Unconfirmed

  Caviar offers limited-edition custom Huawei Mate 40 Pro phones in China[4]Caviar在中国推出华为Mate 40 Pro限量定制版手机chinaz.com

  Caviar began offering three limited-edition custom Huawei Mate 40 Pro models in China for pre-order: Shanshui Guohua, Precious Harmony, and Flying Lion Pixiu. The article reports prices of 385,000 yuan, 465,000 yuan, and 428,000 yuan, respectively, and says the Precious Harmony version is limited to eight units.

• 2021.04.27

  Reported2021.04.27

  DoorDash updates restaurant pricing plans and fees[5]DoorDash调整餐厅定价方案和费用prnewswire.com

  DoorDash introduced three delivery commission plans for U.S. local restaurants, lowered Pickup commission to 6%, and made its Storefront online ordering product free apart from payment processing fees.

• 2021.03.03

  Reported2021.03.03

  Caviar unveils Apple Tree wood product collection[6]Caviar推出Apple Tree木制产品系列imore.com

  Caviar unveiled a new Apple Tree wood range of customized Apple products, including iPhone 12 Pro models and iPad Pro models.

• 2021.02.04

  Reported2021.02.04

  Caviar unveils Origin phone concept[7]Caviar发布Origin手机概念gsmarena.com

  Caviar unveiled the Origin phone concept, an Android device with a classic phone keypad and an interface redesigned for soft keys. Caviar said it would be available in the fourth quarter of 2021; the article describes a prototype and does not report that retail sales began.

• 2020.12.29

  Reported2020.12.29

  Caviar presents a limited-edition gold PS5[8]Caviar推出限量版黄金PS5finance.sina.com.cn

  Caviar presented its “Golden Rock” limited-edition PS5, featuring a solid 18K gold exterior and gold-accented DualSense controllers. The retail price had not been announced.

• 2020.12.28

  Reported2020.12.28

  Caviar announces planned gold-plated AirPods Max[9]Caviar宣布计划推出镀纯金AirPods Maxmacrumors.com

  Caviar announced that it plans to release custom AirPods Max plated with pure gold sometime in 2021. The planned headphones are to be offered in white and black, with one of each color worldwide.

• 2020.08.24

  Reported2020.08.24

  Caviar launches four limited-edition Galaxy Note 20 Ultra custom models[10]Caviar推出四款限量版Galaxy Note 20 Ultra定制机型tech.sina.com.cn

  Caviar launched four limited-edition custom models based on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, featuring marble and rose-gold finishes.

• 2020.04.10

  Reported2020.04.10

  DoorDash announces 50% commission fee reduction for local restaurant partners[11]DoorDash宣布为本地餐厅合作伙伴降低50%佣金费prnewswire.com

  On April 10, DoorDash announced that it would reduce commission fees by 50% for eligible local restaurant partners on DoorDash and Caviar, with the program set to begin April 13 and continue through the end of May in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Read more(14)

1. 1Caviar (company)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Caviar 推出内置辐射探测器的 Geiger 定制版 iPhone 17 Pro163.com
3. 3Caviar 推出限量版 Odyssey 智能眼镜finance.sina.com.cn
4. 4Caviar在中国推出华为Mate 40 Pro限量定制版手机chinaz.com
5. 5DoorDash调整餐厅定价方案和费用prnewswire.com
6. 6Caviar推出Apple Tree木制产品系列imore.com
7. 7Caviar发布Origin手机概念gsmarena.com
8. 8Caviar推出限量版黄金PS5finance.sina.com.cn
9. 9Caviar宣布计划推出镀纯金AirPods Maxmacrumors.com
10. 10Caviar推出四款限量版Galaxy Note 20 Ultra定制机型tech.sina.com.cn
11. 11DoorDash宣布为本地餐厅合作伙伴降低50%佣金费prnewswire.com
12. 12Caviar宣布推出三星Galaxy特别版手机tech.sina.com.cn
13. 13Caviar打造18K黄金订制版Apple AirPods Protech.sina.com.cn
14. 14Caviar推出镶金钻石的iPhone 11 Pronewindianexpress.com
15. 15Square完成向DoorDash出售Caviarcrowdfundinsider.com
16. 16Caviar unveils gold-plated AirPods Max for around Rs 80 lakhtelecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com
17. 17Caviar推出定制“纯金”AirPods Max，售价70.6万元finance.sina.com.cn
18. 18Caviar推出定制“纯金”AirPods Max，售价70.6万元itbear.com.cn
19. 19Caviar推出六款三星S21系列奢华限量版 最高售50万！finance.sina.com.cn
20. 20Caviar推出全新定制版华为Mate40 Pro：最贵卖18万finance.sina.com.cn
21. 21DoorDash Announces New Pricing Tiers for Restaurant Deliverysf.eater.com
22. 22DoorDash changes pricing, offers 15% commission optionpizzamarketplace.com
23. 23DoorDash cutting commission fees in half for South Florida restaurants through Maysun-sentinel.com
24. 24DoorDash reduces restaurant commission fees by 50 percentfoxbusiness.com
25. 25Doordash temporarily reduces its commission fees for restaurantskyma.com