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Vertu posts

Vertu Constellation Ayxta luxo-flip slums it at the FCC

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 29th 2009 @ 3:47PM

You might think you're hot stuff for carrying around a new Vertu Constellation Ayxta, but this is America, bub -- and your blinged-up Nokia has to kick it at the FCC just like everyone else. Of course, without that fancy always-on-call Concierge service and Vertu Select, all you're really looking at here is a pretty anonymous featurephone wrapped up in high-end garb, but you're not spending your $10,500 on features here -- you're spending it because you're too lazy and rich to buy something good.

Vertu announces Constellation Ayxta flip phone for the discerning, friendless traveler

by Laura June posted Sep 25th 2009 @ 10:31AM

Vertu's not known for making cut rate electronics, so this is probably the closest it'll ever come. The company's just unveiled its latest flip phone, the Constellation Ayxta. The Ayzta is aimed at citizens of the world who are looking for a "high quality product to assist in maintaining their standard of living wherever they may be," -- i.e., lazy people who'd rather throw money at something than figure out what to do on their own on a Friday night in Vienna. We can sympathize -- sort of. To that end, the handset will be kitted with all manner of, including Vertu's own Concierge service which puts you on the line with a customer service representative directly -- no hold required. Users will also get access to Vertu Select -- which, as we said before, will help you out and tell you where all the cool people are in whatever one horse you happen to be in at the moment. It's got 3G and a micros SD slot for up to 8GB of storage, plus a 3.0 megapixel cam with integrated flash (which is always nice), but other than that it's pretty unimpressive. The Constellation Ayxta is available in Europe now, and for a very affordable €4,900 to €6,500 -- somewhere in the neighborhood of $7,000 - $10,500.

[Via T3]

Constellation F to be Vertu's first clamshell?

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 21st 2009 @ 5:56AM

So far, Vertu's stuck to a tried-and-true candybar formula for hawking bejeweled, leather-bound handsets to the extraordinarily rich, but they may be shifting focus just a tad for their next release. mobil.cz seems to have scored a fuzzy little shot and a few specs of what's being billed as the "Constellation F" -- that's "F" as in "fold," which lines up with parent Nokia's off-kilter parlance -- with a 2.4-inch HVGA primary display, global GSM / EDGE and HSPA, 3 megapixel cam with dual LED flash, 8GB of storage, and in all likelihood, more ostrich skin finish options than any phone you've ever owned. The presence of HSPA 850 / 1900 combined with the clamshell form factor would seem to be a very material recognition on Vertu's part that it's selling a good percentage of its four- and five-figure handsets stateside -- flips are historically more popular there than in Europe -- and at $10,000 or more a pop, it shouldn't take too many to make the R&D expense worth their while.

Vertu Ascent Ti Neon screams 'I'm rich and I watch Saved By The Bell reruns'

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 13th 2009 @ 8:22AM

Variants of existing Vertu models are a dime a dozen. Actually, come to think of it, they're the exact opposite of "a dime a dozen," but we digress -- the point is that we don't really get too worked up these days when Nokia's luxury brand decides to refinish one of its hilariously expensive models in another shade of ostrich hide. There are a few key differences with the new Ascent Ti Neon, though: one, they've actually reshaped it to better fit in a purse; two, they've changed out the leather bits for rubber; and three, it's neon, for goodness' sake. Despite the revised shape, the phone is exactly the same on the inside as any other Ascent Ti already on the market, which means euro 3G, a 3 megapixel cam, and 4GB of storage. It'll all go for the bargain basement price of £6,000 (about $9,900) when it hits in October.

Vertu proves carbon fiber doesn't have to be functional with latest Ascent Ti

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 20th 2009 @ 9:49PM

Carbon fiber: a highly-engineered material prized the world over for its overwhelming strength without sacrificing weight, used in some of the world's most mission-critical machines. Vertu's Ascent Ti Carbon Fibre Edition, however, decidedly doesn't qualify as such a use -- but that's not stopping the luxury handset division of Nokia from touting the new model's been "repeatedly tested to ensure the optimum amount of fibres and resin and processed together to achieve a flawless uniform look on both the flat and curved parts." It's available next month with your choice of carbon, aluminum, or copper grips, but the term "available" might be a stretch for most of us considering that pricing is only being provided "upon request" -- and we all know what that means. [Warning: PDF link]

[Via Unwired View]

Vertu's BH-1V Bluetooth headset gets FCC approval, leaves $100 tip

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 13th 2009 @ 8:04AM

The Vertu Aerius never really did Nokia's luxury marque justice -- casual passers-by would stop, point, and laugh at the overpriced Jabra JX10 masquerading as a meticulously hand-built bauble, and as we all know, disgustingly wealthy people have egos far too fragile for that kind of mockery. We have renewed faith today, though, that Vertu's hard at work making its own Bluetooth headset more befitting a brand associated with gelded, bedazzled serpents thanks to an FCC approval for a model BH-1V. Yeah, that's right, that'd be "V" as in "Vertu," so you know this thing is gonna be awesome. Who knows -- it could even be a giant letter "V" encrusted in diamonds, in which case our life would be complete and we could stop writing about technology altogether.

Vertu's Ascent Ti Damascus Steel makes being wealthy slightly more stylish

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 11th 2009 @ 8:53AM

Stainless steel's great, but there's a very simple problem with the alloy that's plagued mankind for hundreds of years: it doesn't have any pattern on it. Happily, that's easily solved with a quick trip to Vertu's British headquarters, where master craftsmen are hard at work hand-carving designs into exactly 100 copies of the company's new Ascent Ti Damascus Steel -- just the latest in a long line of five-figure handsets with two-figure functionality. Yes, true, the Ascent Ti series features 3G, but even that isn't enough to justify the kidneys and other organs you'll have to sell (or the pittance you'll have to withdraw from the trust fund, depending on your lifestyle) to become the proud owner of one of these. Is it seriously time to upgrade the Ferrari version already?

Vertu opens retail location in Tokyo's Ginza district

by Darren Murph posted Mar 15th 2009 @ 6:21AM

We already knew Vertu was planning to open wide to Tokyo's Ginza district in late February, and apparently it decided to follow through despite an economy that's apt to slow sales of its luxury handsets dramatically. At any rate, the spot is a must-see even for tourists with a savings account that couldn't buy the "8" key of a Constellation Pure, so be sure to freshen up and drop by if you find yourself in the city. Oh, and be sure to ask the reps on hand if any of Vertu's phones can load up the full version of the company's own website without struggling -- we get the feeling the reaction will be priceless.

[Via RCRWireless]

Vertu's Constellation Pure series is like every other Constellation: drab and overpriced

by Darren Murph posted Feb 20th 2009 @ 11:07AM

Seriously Vertu -- we have zero qualms with you charging €6,800 ($8,574) for a handset, but could you at least work in a little innovation next time? At first glance, the new Constellation Pure lineup looks like every other Constellation ever produced by the luxury phone maker, and it's not until you read that they're built from steel, leather and ceramics that you realize something's different. The set is expected to hit the market soon in white, black and silver, each of which will be limited to 2,500 units. We hear these things aren't half bad at making calls, either, but you know it's that iconic "V" logo you're really dropping the Euros for.

[Via Sybarites]

Vertu's overpriced Signature S Design gets hands-on treatment

by Darren Murph posted Jan 28th 2009 @ 7:02AM

We won't lie -- we've always been harsh on Vertu handsets. As a rule, they're technologically inferior to handsets that are a twelfth the price, and honestly, they're usually pretty unsightly. But you know, Boy Genius Report's hands-on experience with the stainless steel Signature S Design really has us back on the fence. Sure, it's the price of a decent subcompact, but man, it's as sleek as sleek could ever hope to be. Have a look in the read link for a hands-on gallery that's sure to make you envious -- whether you're willing to admit it or not.

Vertu opens tasteful, refined retail location in Japan

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jan 21st 2009 @ 4:32PM

It's no secret that Vertu's delicate, understated design and real commitment to value for your hard-earned dollar have won the brand lots of fans here at Engadget -- and we're still kicking ourselves for being too busy to check out the company's store in Las Vegas during CES. Our Japanese readers are in luck, however -- come February 19, people in Ginza will have a Vertu store to call their own. Sure the thing looks a little less gaudy than we would have imagined -- an eighteen foot tall, solid gold, fire-breathing Dragon would have been nice -- but you can't really argue with a place that sets aside an entire floor for each handset line it carries (including Ferrari, Ascent and Signature). If you get a chance to visit, let us know what you think! More pics after the break.

Continue reading Vertu opens tasteful, refined retail location in Japan

Vertu Signature Dragon handset puts the 'ugh' in 'luxury'

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Dec 24th 2008 @ 4:24PM

It looks like Vertu isn't resting on its laurels -- a mere two years after snatching the "world's ugliest phone title" with its Signature Cobra, the company's back with the Signature Dragon. What can we say about this one? Not much, seeing as how the thing isn't even listed on the company's website. Even so, since the Cobra retailed for over a quarter of a million bucks we're guessing this new handset ain't gonna be cheap. Feel free to sneak a peek at the thing in the Vertu store in Las Vegas's Wynn Hotel when you hit the town for CES. As an aside, when researching this post we came across an erotic French novel titled Dragon de Vertu which is on sale for about $30. Even if you don't read French, we still think it'd be a better use of your hard earned cash -- and if you do read French, please underline the good parts before you pass it on to us.

Read: Vertu to display its luxury handset 'Vertu Signature Dragon'
Read: Dragon de Vertu by Francis Tigrone

NTT DoCoMo and Vertu team up on Vertu Club MVNO

by Darren Murph posted Dec 10th 2008 @ 6:38PM

Vertu's been eying the Japanese market for months on end now, but we had no idea it would really go diving in headfirst like this. Okay, so we actually did, but we did our best to just blot it out for fear of it coming true. Now, the deed has been done, and Vertu has selected NTT DoCoMo to "provide communication services to Vertu customers." The MVNO deal will launch in Q2 2009, and it'll flatteringly be called Vertu Club. Details of the partnership have yet to be disclosed, but we are told that Vertu will open its very first store in Japan (Ginza Flagship Store) in February. Hey, if Softbank can make it in the ultra high-end market, why can't these guys? [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via UnwiredView]

The solid gold Vertu Boucheron 150 makes us hate humanity

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 10th 2008 @ 4:32AM

You know how you can tell that this is a "luxury" phone? It looks like it was shaped by an overly taut sphincter. The Vertu Boucheron 150 is made from "solid gold" and is meant to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Boucheron jewelry house in Paris. According to the designer, it took 1,000 hours to cut into shape, 700 hours to hand polish, and more than 500 hours to build. Funny, it only took us a split-second to wretch. Do the Japanese really prefer these Vertu designs from Nokia over the E71? No price or any real detail announced, just a picture of the enormous packing box after the break.

[Via Unwired View, thanks Robin of L.]

Continue reading The solid gold Vertu Boucheron 150 makes us hate humanity

Nokia pulls out of Japan, nobody notices

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 27th 2008 @ 3:51AM

It's not like Nokia was dominating sales in Japan anyway -- far from it. So it's not too big a loss to walk away from its near 1 percent market share when it's sitting atop a (dwindling) ~~40%~~ 39% share globally. According to Nokia vice president Timo Ihamuotila, "We have judged that we cannot continue to invest in product development just for Japan amid the current tough economic conditions." Nokia will continue to sell its luxury Vertu branded phones though, presumably on that MVNO Nokia is rumored to be rolling out this spring.