Vertu Releases £7000 Android Smartphone, Handmade In England
Luxury smartphone maker Vertu has launched it's latest Android-powered handset, the VERTU Ti. Interested? You better dig deep as the Ti, made in Hampshire, costs €7,900 (£6,994).
Based around a titanium case (hence the name), the construction is exhaustively premium: leather accents, a ceramic pillow, acoustically crafted drivers, exposed watch screws, and the largest sapphire crystal screen ever on a smartphone (3.7 inches).
While the external design is of a high quality (although I'm personally not a fan of its looks), the hardware specifications is pretty hit and miss. Some things are comparable to what is available nowadays: 8 megapixel camera, 64GB internal storage, NFC. But in others, it doesn't exactly match up to what is in the market. The screen is WVGA resolution (800x480) and Dual-core Snapdragon processor, running 16-month-old Android 4.0.
You may have picked Ice Cream Sandwich for its "proven and intuitive environment;" but at least start with a more current version! But if you have the means to afford such a device, chances are you won't care. Complete with the phone you also get access to Vertu's 24-hour Concierge Service and something called 'Vertu Certainty,' which protects your phone and "where necessary, the customer." If that doesn't sound like access to a bouncer/hitman, I don't know what does!
Now you're hooked in for the sell, the Ti for €7,900 isn't the only model they do. The 'Titanium Pure Black' is available for €9,500, the 'Titanium Black Alligator' for a grand more, and the 'Black PVD Titanium Red Gold Mixed Metals' for a whopping €16,500.
Tempted? I know you are!
Source: Vertu
Jason England