Vertu Phones, a Perfectly Sound Marriage of Design and Technology

In a world of mass production, the desire to bring out exclusivity remains strong. Vertu, a UK-based luxury mobile brand and wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia has literally made a mark in India with its ultra-high end mobile phones. It can be said that a Vertu is the antithesis to mass production, and can be put on the same pedestal as a Rolex watch or a Bentley car for that matter.

Vertu handsets are hand-assembled and thus epitomize two words- original and perfection. Each of the Vertu mobile phones are made up of handcrafted components. They truly represent a perfect marriage between design and technology.

Here are some interesting facts about Vertu’s phones:

Twice as many hours go into the R&D of a Vertu handset as go into a Formula One racing car!

Some of the screws in these phones are so miniscule that just four human hairs can fit into a single thread

Design of Vertu Mobile Phones:

The screen on every Vertu handset is protected by a sheet of sapphire crystal, making its scratch-resistant. Some of these phones even have Ruby ball bearings under their buttons so that they don’t wear out easily. Also, the LiquidMetal and Titanium combinations make these phones very durable and last for years, making it a purchase worth every bit of your money. A very important fact that needs to be pointed out is that each of the fine materials and mechanical components are designed for a 20-year lifespan.

Technology of Vertu Phones:

The power conductivity that is used is made from gold components and this optimizes the power consumption of the phone, because gold is an optimal power conductor and this again helps the battery utility to be optimized. Technically, it’s a very sound product as compared to any other phone.

The four families of Vertu handsets available in India are:

Ascent: The Ascent range of phones has been inspired by the design and material of luxury sports cars, striking a unique balance between hard metal and soft leather. The speaker ports looks like air vents of a sports car, while the hand-stitched leather detail will remind you of a steering wheel. The battery cover lock resembles a fuel tank cap and even the screws on the battery cover are made to look like rim screws. The price of this phone is approximately Rs.2,26,000.

Constellation: The Constellation range of phones is crafted from stainless steel/gold, while the rear is finished in flawless leather. The keypad is made from highly durable ceramic. Claiming to be an international phone, it provides a number of travel services for free. Users can download real-time flight information, make use of the real-time currency converter and access the world clock and world weather report feature.

Signature: The Signature range of phones incorporates metals such as gold, diamonds and platinum. The makers of this phone had devised its unique key which responds evenly to finger pressure up to a certain point, besides all other keys on the Signature keypad are supported by Ruby bearings. It costs Rs.3,70,000.

Ascent Ti: The Ascent Ti range of phones is partly covered in tanned leather and also features a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face and highly polished ceramic. The phone’s chassis have been made from the non-corrosive titanium element (Ti). This quad-band, 3G phone has a 3 mega pixel camera. The phone also uses the ‘Vertu Fortress’ technology which offers a remote way to sync contacts, calendar, notes and back ups. It costs Rs.3,26,000.

Vertu also makes limited edition pieces some of which are sold in India as well. For instance, one of the eight Vertu phones which were handcrafted with pink diamonds by one of the most famous jewelers in France, was brought into India and was actually sold for Rs.16 crores.

On a more tangible note, Limited Edition Vertu phones that are yet available in the country include a Ferrari 1947 model and the Racetrack Legends. Ferrari Limited Edition 1947 model which as the name suggests has been inspired by the hot looking all-red sports car itself. Sporting Ferrari’s trademark colors, encased in black and red leather with black laquer stripes running at the sides, the phone is a must-have for racing fans. The Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 phone also has a bezel nose on the front that features the famed Ferrari Prancing Horse. On the rear back plate, there is a scaled down iconic Ferrari brake pedal that has been crafted from high-graded aluminum. There are just 1947 of these pieces.

The Racetrack Legends series of Limited Edition Vertu phones sport an imprint of different racetracks such as Monaco, Le Mans and Monza on the rear end. Each of these pieces is numbered from 1 to 1000.

All Vertu phones offer the Concierge service which is very helpful when traveling. Using this service, travelers will be able to book a flight or perhaps even send flowers to a friend located across the world with just the press of a button.

As of now, there are no exclusive Vertu stores in India, but a number of high-end luxury stores in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkatta do retail these rare phones. In Mumbai, Popley La Classique and Ethos stock Vertu’s super-luxurious phones.