We reported a while back about Tag Heuer going into the mobile phone business. While the idea of them making a mobile phone of their own was dead on, the concept model we provided was a far cry from what was actually made.

Trying to pull a Vertu on their maiden unit, the Meridiist does a good job in matching the steep price, but fails miserably in providing an equally beautiful and sophisticated design. Clothed with either leather or rubber accents, it features a 1.9-inch QVGA screen, an OLED diplay at the top, a 2-megpaixel camera, and Bluetooth.  As expected, feature-wise, there’s nothing impressive about it, but how we wished that at least it looked snazzy and worthy of carrying the Tag Heuer name. It’s a good thing though that they didn’t skimp out on materials such as the scratch-resistant glass sapphire for the display and stainless steel for the body which helped jack up the price, but design-wise, they could have done a better job.

Admittedly, the Vertu is no powerhouse either, but at least it looked worthy of its hefty price tag and has managed to create a name for itself in the competitive mobile phone industry. Tag Heuer, on the other hand, already has a reputation for quality craftsmanship and design in the watch industry; but, sad to say, is a great disappointment when it comes to mobile phones.

I guess it’s a bit unfair comparing the Meridiist with Vertu considering it’s Tag Heuer’s first attempt in making a mobile phone, but Vertu has set the standard in luxury phones, and they’ve set it pretty high. If Tag can’t match or outdo Vertu when it comes to design, it’s best that they stick to watch making (or at least lower the price and offer more features).