This affordable Android phone might have a Rolex watch design

If you've tried getting your hands on one of the best Rolex models on the market in the last few years, you'll know it's a fairly impossible task. Through a combination of popularity and questionable sales tactics, the brand has become tricky to get hold of at retail price.

I'll be honest with you, one thing I did not expect to see this morning was a cheap phone with Rolex involved in the design. But that's what has been rumoured with this, the Realme 12 Pro. 

The new handset has had a pretty comprehensive spec leak – and it looks pretty good! The handset is said to feature a decent camera array, with a periscope telephoto sensor. The device will support up to 120x digital zoom, while offering lossless zoom at 0.6x, 1x, 2x, 3x and 6x.

Working with Qualcomm, the brand has even enhanced image processing even further. That should offer a really comprehensive image snapping suite for users.

However, the specs definitely play second fiddle here. As mentioned, leaked imagery shows off what appears to be a Rolex-inspired edition of the handset. According to the report, Realme have teamed up with a luxury watch designer called Ollivier Saveo for a Rolex-inspired version of the phone.

That version appears to be based on a two-tone Rolex Datejust with a blue dial. The phone appears to use the yellow gold tone as an accent along the back and around the camera, while the blue is utilised in the back panel material.

The date on the watch also shows the 28th, which some are purporting could be a hint of a release date. However, the 28th is used as standard in Rolex product imagery, so it's possibly just a coincidence.

It's an interesting choice. While the design of the phone is slick, it doesn't seem to have any official affiliation with the Rolex brand. It also doesn't appear to be more than a point of design inspiration. There is no clock functionality mentioned, for example, or any other horological points of interest.