If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a smartphone inspired by TopGear's 2012 supercar of the year, leaks of a water-resistant handset for T-Mobile and an Android smartphone from LG that sells for under $100 outright. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 5th, 2013.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Generally Vertu phones are much flashier in real life than in basic diagrams, but we'll take what we can get -- especially when it comes to phones that haven't actually been officially announced (or rumored) yet. The set of lines, boxes and numbers you see above is the Vertu Constellation V, a device we actually haven't heard anything about. But here it is, receiving FCC approval; the phone sports AT&T and T-Mobile HSPA+ and GSM / EDGE, dual-band WiFi (802.11a/b/g/n), NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. We'd wager that this is the luxury phone company's next Android handset (second after the Ti), and it'll probably cost more than the monthly rent.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Source: FCC
According to a statement we received earlier, Vertu's Perry Oosting (pictured left) has stepped down after his successful four year stint as President and CEO, though he'll continue to invest in the company. Despite the relatively short run, the Dutch exec oversaw Vertu's departure from Nokia and subsequently launched the company's first-ever Android device, the Ti. Little is known about the reasons behind this change, but judging by Oosting's considerable knowledge of the luxury goods market, he'll have plenty of options for his next move.
The luxury phone maker will now be led by CMO Massimiliano "Max" Pogliani (pictured right), who's probably best known for building up Nespresso, Nestlé's premium coffee brand, prior to joining Vertu last November. Pogliani will be assisted by ex-Jimmy Choo COO Jonathan Sinclair, who joined Vertu this month under the same title. Press release after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
It's been almost half a year since Vertu launched its first-ever Android phone, the TI, and now the company's decided to throw in a couple of limited editions to lure the big spenders. As pictured above, the new Vertu TI Colours collection is wrapped in either "Sunset Red" or "Midnight Blue" calf leather, and only 1,000 units are made for each color. As per typical Vertu style, there's a unique number etched on the back to indicate which of the 1,000 units yours is.
The rest of this hand-crafted, matt grey titanium phone remains unchanged otherwise, namely its 3.7-inch tough sapphire screen, Android 4.0, 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 64GB storage plus an 8-megapixel camera. And of course, the phone still comes with the famed Vertu Concierge, a "100 percent independent" service that CEO Perry Oosting is very proud of. To join this exclusive club, you'll have to somehow fork out a whopping HK$90,000 or €8,900 (about US$11,700) -- just a tad more expensive than the TI Titanium Pure Black edition, but also more flamboyant. This author already spotted these new phones at Vertu's Hong Kong Airport store, and he's currently accepting donations.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
"Hi, I'm Richard Lai from Engadget. You guys probably hate us but..."
"No no, I don't hate you," Vertu's 52-year-old President and CEO interjected with a charming smile. He then laid a hand on my shoulder and explained our in-joke to the other chuckling diners, "These guys, they read the specs and they only judge by the specs."
Of course, it was just a light-hearted banter the night before our interview, but having been with the luxury phone maker since June 2009 as President, Perry Oosting obviously knew of everyone's ongoing jokes about the rationale of his super expensive phones. Even before Vertu, the Dutchman would've faced a similar problem when he held senior positions at the likes of Bulgari, Prada, Gucci and Escada, except these brands have been around for a lot longer; and for us mere mortals, their existence is already widely accepted. Not so much for the luxury gadgets, though.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Admittedly, many of us here at Engadget have never really had the opportunity to touch a Vertu phone (KIRFs don't count, of course), as the pressure of stepping into a posh Vertu store without the cash can be rather unnerving. That said, over the weekend Vertu launched its Android-powered TI in Hong Kong, and the British company was gracious enough to let us get up close and personal with all four flavors of its latest luxury device. Verdict? Well, please kindly ask your butler to read on after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Vertu, a company founded by Nokia, but now owned by EQT VI, is famous for manufacturing steeply priced, under performing smartphones. Read on to find out if Vertu Ti, their latest device, also fits this description.When Nokia founded Vertu, they came up with a very pathetic argument. Basically, what they ...
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That fancy Vertu Ti handset we saw pop up last month? It's finally been priced, predictably out of the average buyer's price range. Sticker shock for Vertu's first device since the EQT acquisition starts at €7,900, or about $10,587 $9,600 in the US, and buys eccentrics with money to burn a sapphire-covered 800 x 480 display, 1.5GHz 1.7GHz of processing power and a 1,250mAh battery -- all wrapped in a durable titanium shell. What's it missing? 4G connectivity, unfortunately. "Vertu will never be at the bleeding edge of technology," Vertu head of design Hutch Hutchison told the BBC. "It has to be about relevant technology and craftsmanship -- it's not a disposable product." At those prices, we'd certainly hope not. Vertu phones might not be packed with the mobile world's latest tech, but Hutchison says that the top dollar pricetag buys better durability. "People think sapphire is just posh glass," he explained to the BBC. "The only thing that scratches it is a diamond." At the very least, Vertu customers won't have to worry about which pocket they keep their keys in.
Update: Now with official product shots below and press release (including details on the various stress tests) plus promo video after the break. Also, here's a detailed list of specs: Android 4.0, dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC, 64GB storage, 3.7-inch sapphire crystal screen, titanium casing, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera, NFC and "Full/Micro/Nano SIM capability" (we're waiting for clarification on that one). The prices are as follows:
o. Titanium Black Leather - $9,600
o. Titanium Pure Black - $11,500
o. Titanium Black Alligator - $12,800
o. Black PVD Titanium Red Gold Mixed Metals - $19,900
Richard Lai contributed to this report.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: BBC
At the rate that I change smartphones, about once or twice a year, I could probably bankrupt myself pretty quickly if I were to buy Vertu phones instead of the brands I usually do. Recently, there was a rumor that Vertu would be using Android in its next smartphone. According to Japanese gadget site Blog of Mobile!!, the rumors are true, and Android specs have turned up in its certification testing data.
The Vertu Constellation Ti RM-828V is expected to be Android-powered, running 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. The CPU is a 1.5Ghz Snapdragon MSM8260A processor, and the phone will support Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. It has a 800 × 480 resolution display, and a paltry 1,250 mAh battery.
For all you kids with trust funds, the Vertu Constellation Ti will come in Red Gold Mixed Metal, Titanium Black Alligator, Titanium Black Leather, and Titanium Black PVD Leather, with prices rumored to start around $5,500(USD). Think that’s pricey? The most expensive phone Vertu ever made cost over $300,000.
It always amazes me how these “luxury” phones always seem to have slightly outdated tech.
[via Ubergizmo]
Shortly after the latest rumor that Vertu's prepping its first-ever Android-based device, eagle-eyed Blog of Mobile delivered further evidence to support the claim, and it even managed to dig out what it claims to be product shots of said phone. First of all, the name "Ti" and model number "RM-828V" are spotted across Bluetooth SIG, GLBenchmark and telecom regulator databases in Singapore and Macau. Having scanned through these pages we now know that the Ti will come with Android 4.0.4, an 800 x 480 display, a 1.5GHz processor, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. Blog of Mobile added that it's a Snapdragon MSM8260A SoC with WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 radio, accompanied by a rather lame 1,250mAh battery. Bluetooth SIG's page provided the following design description of the device:
"VERTU Ti possesses the classic Vertu design DNA and characteristics - strong, unique & distinctive. The design and craftsmanship positions VERTU Ti alongside other iconic products in the luxury market."
If the above images are authentic then the Ti does indeed maintain the classic Vertu look. The only real changes we can see so far are the three new physical keys -- presumably "Back," "Home" and "Recent apps" for Android. If all goes well, we should see this wallet-busting gadget at MWC next month, so start saving up now.
Update: Russian retailer spblux.ru lists four variants of the Ti or, as the site calls it, the Constellation Ti: "Titanium Black PVD black leather," "Titanium Black Alligator," "Red Gold Mixed Metal" and "Titanium Black Leather." Interestingly, the red gold version has a search button instead of "Recent apps," but we guess that was an earlier design. Regardless, we have all four designs after the break for your viewing pleasure. [Thanks, Roman K.]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Blog of Mobile, GLBenchmark, Bluetooth SIG, DSRT, iDA
