Vertu's latest luxury Android phone costs over $10,000

Any time we look at a phone and think, "whooo, that's expensive", we have to stop and remind ourselves that there are phones makers like Vertu that charge thousands of dollars for generally comparable (and often lesser) products. And that's where we find ourselves today with the newly-announced Vertu Signature Touch. But unlike Vertu smartphones of the past, this one isn't depressingly behind-the-times when it comes to what's inside, though it is still obscenely expensive at £6,750.

That's basically the cost of a dozen Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphones, yes, but in this case you're getting a smartphone that oozes luxury. The Vertu Signature Touch has "acoustics tuned in partnership with Bang & Olufsen and a Hasselblad-certified camera." The screen is covered with a layer of super-tough sapphire crystal (the same stuff they put on real watches) and the casing is made out of titanium with "hand-finished calf leather".

And being a Vertu it also comes with a suite of services, including some pretty comprehensive insurance and real life concierge (eat your heart out, Google Now)

But what you're really interested in, though, is what's inside that metallic case. What tech does $10,300 get you? Well, for one, a 4.7-inch 1080p display. That Hasselblad-certified camera clocks in at 13 megapixels, and there's a 2.1 megapixel sensor around front. The phone includes 64GB of storage, which is good since there's no MicroSD expansion. CPU wise there's a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 running at 2.3Ghz, though we have no indication of how much RAM is inside. You also get stereo speakers with that B&O tuning, Qi-charging for the 2275mAh battery, LTE Cat4, W-Fi 802.11ac, and NFC. Oh, and it runs Android 4.4 KitKat and measures in at 10.65mm thick — reasonable considering that it's wrapped in leather.

Is this phone worth the stratospheric price tag? Most people that buy a Vertu don't buy it for the specs. They buy it for the exclusivity, for the cachet, for the fact that they can own a phone carved out of freakin' titanium and wrapped in the skin of a baby cow. Vertu is about the specs, but it's nice to seem the finally bringing specs to the party.

The Vertu Signature Touch will be available this month, though you'll clearly have to pay for the privilege. It's silly to ask "who's going to get one?", but we can ask — what do you think?

Source: Vertu (opens in new tab)

Derek Kessler

Derek Kessler is Special Projects Manager for Mobile Nations. He's been writing about tech since 2009, has far more phones than is considered humane, still carries a torch for Palm (the old one), and got a Tesla because it was the biggest gadget he could find. You can follow him on Twitter at @derekakessler.

51 Comments
  • Maybe CrackBerry Kevin will come over from the dark side and buy this. I think he has a history of buying really expensive devices(and apps).
  • I came here to post that exact comment lol. I think this would go nicely with that $500 clock he got, no? Posted via Android Central App
  • The Porsche Design BlackBerry smartphones are expensive, but they're not that expensive.
  • And it'll be worth $50 in 2 years
  • Crackberry Kevin needs to get this phone and get that BB developer to make a $500 Android app clock for him to put on it, too. Memories :) Posted via Android Central App
  • Beat me to it. I was gonna that ht would but it if it was a BlackBwery. AC App via Nexus 5
  • Add microSD and I'll consider it.....
  • And a removable battery. Android smartphones need those too.
  • I'll buy one and smash it for a OnePlus. Suck it, you impoverished slobs. Posted via Android Central App
  • LOL
  • LOL Well said!!
  • Hahahaha!!!
  • YASSS drag them!!! Posted via Android Central App
  • Hahaha Posted via Android Central App
  • Woooo!!!!!!! Posted from my Nexus 7 2013 or Samsung galaxy S5
  • lol
  • Remind me why I don't buy these things...
  • Because if they were trying to impress us they would use whale foreskin instead of baby cows. Posted via Android Central App
  • Because you don't make that much money?
  • Why does it look like 20 year old piece of equipment I'd find in a box that's been laying around....LOL Posted via Android Central App
  • Looks like a PDA from '98
  • LOL i was just imagining a minute ago how i could buy my first car
  • I'll admit it. If I was "buy the LA Clippers with cash" rich, I'd buy this.
  • BTW, Vertu is manufactured and partly owned by Nokia. So if anyone wants a Nokia running Android, this is it.
    XD XD XD
  • Lol yes that is a good point, can not deny the origins ;)
  • Hahaha so you said you'd buy an Android phone of Nokia made it, did you? Well put your money where your mouth is. ALL OF IT. Posted via Android Central App
  • Nokia has nothing to do with vertu anymore... ... ( 0ppo F5) ...
  • At least according to wikipedia, they do.
    "In October 2012 Nokia sold Vertu to private equity group EQT VI for an unspecified amount, (rumoured to be $200 million), but will retain a 10% share. Handsets continue to be MANUFACTURED by Nokia."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertu
  • Not on your life. Now, if AC were giving one away... ;p
  • At least it's better than just slapping a bunch of jewels on the iphone and calling it a luxury phone.
  • Can't wait for the review... :s
  • A complete waist of money Posted via Android Central App
  • Yeah, but these things are marketed to people who have enough money that "a waste of money" is not a meaningful concept. Posted via Android Central App
  • I'll snag one on CL in about 6 months for half that! /s Posted via Android Central App
  • "Vertu is about the specs, but it's nice to seem the finally bringing specs to the party." This sentence is all kinds of weird.
  • Totally Posted via Android Central App
  • I'd buy one if I was rich. It looks more attractive than any other phone. Sure, some Samsung owner might come up to me and tell that his cheaper phone has more RAM than mine. But then I would just press the concierge button and have someone tell the Samsung owner to eat shit.
  • lol
  • OK eat your heart out Google now??? One question will they be googling?? Hahahaha
  • Specs are actually pretty good, but the article is wrong, people dont buy Vertus for the image or cachet, they buy them for the concierge service that comes with them. They can get you just about anything you like at any time, its like having a 24hr go anywhere butler. Of course you pay for whatever you ask for on top, but even so, its pretty handy.
  • Its real classy but I'd rather a car!!! Posted via Android Central App
  • How are the software updates on this baby, I might consider it, cough, cough. Posted via Android Central App
  • Red Button Single Click: Rolls up partition
    Red Button Double Click: Summons Alfred
  • Lol who needs the driver to roll up the partition when you have one of these? Posted via my oldie but goodie Nexii 4 using the Android Central App
  • 2275mAh battery? You lost me there Vertu (not that you ever really had me - I can't spend that much on a phone XD)
  • The hardware is well and good, but how's the software? Pure Android (a la Nexus), something close (a la Moto X), or a more heavily modified UX (a la Sense/TouchWiz/etc.)? The materials are nice, but I think smoothing it out in certain places (e.g. ear piece) would be an improvement. Posted via Android Central App
  • I'd like to see the "will it blend" guy try to blend it. Will the sapphire glass blend?
  • Wow! Looka Vertu coming through with a real overall high end smartphone. If it were in my budget, this would be the very first Vertu phone I'd consider. Posted via my oldie but goodie Nexii 4 using the Android Central App
  • So now there at least 1 Android phone with a 4.7" 1080p screen. This might be worth it for that alone. High resolution screen with a compact footprint. Not to mention the other specs aren't bad. Posted via Android Central App
  • The last year's HTC One also has 4.7 inch 1080p screen. Much cheaper, off that is what you are looking for. Posted via Android Central App
  • "we have to stop and remind ourselves that there are phones makers like Vertu that charge thousands of dollars for generally comparable (and often lesser) products. " Can say the same for apple too.