The luxury smartphone maker company Vertu is now back in the action after they parted ways with Nokia. Vertu is best known for making ludicrously expensive mobile handsets that are slathered with gems and precious metals. The company was formerly owned by Nokia, has finally launched its first Android smartphone – Vertu Ti – that features a titanium chassis and a sapphire-crystal screen.
Starting at $9,600 (with design variants that hike the price up to nearly $20,000), the lowest model is Titanium Black Leather, which will cost $9,600. The company is offering three other models Titanium Pure Black for $11,500, Titanium Black Alligator for $12,800 and Black PVD Titanium Red Gold Mixed Metals for $19,900.
On the specs side Vertu Ti is as up-to-date as possible. There’s a dual-core 1.7Ghz CPU, 1GB RAM and 64GB of in-built storage. It’s got an 8MP camera with LED flash capable of recording 1080p video plus a 1.3MP front camera. There is a set of stereo speakers, tuned in collaboration with Bang&Olufsen. Vertu Ti sports 3.7-inches the WVGA screen and powered with Android 4.0 ICS with a custom UI.
The 3.7” sapphire crystal screen is the largest ever crafted by Vertu. Making the screen virtually scratchproof it has been tested to be four times stronger than other smart phones.
The casings of the Vertu Ti smartphone are crafted from grade 5 titanium a material selected to deliver strength, low weight and elegance. The company claims that the titanium case is five times tougher than the cases around most cell phones.
VERTU Ti is handmade from 184 parts in England by a single craftsman. Every VERTU Ti is signed by the craftsman. The side key on the left-hand side has an V-shaped in-set ruby to highlight the brand’s traditional design language.
