If you’re fortunate enough to be born into royalty, be in the Forbes 500, or just have this impulse to have the expensive things in life, a $10,000 (Php 407,200) smartphone, the Vertu TI, could be one of those things you might have on your shopping list. Outrageously expensive gadgets have been around for quite some time—an $8 million gold-plated iPad 2, $4.7 million 18-karat gold speakers, and a $2 million personal submarine are just some of the devices that require (quite) a few more zeros tacked on to the amount on your paycheck.
The Vertu TI comes with a sapphire crystal screen that makes Gorilla Glass look like porcelain. One of its stress tests include dropping a 110g ball bearing onto the screen itself from an unspecified height. Despite its extremely strong build, the Vertu TI’s screen in terms of pixels per inch is rather average compared to the relatively less expensive iPhone 5 (5 inches, 640×1136 resolution at 326 ppi) and HTC One (4.7 inches, 1080×1920 resolution at 468 ppi)—a mere 3.7 inches and a 800×480 screen at 252 ppi. The Vertu TI has a titanium alloy body on the outside and a 6000 series aluminum alloy on the inside, so it practically puts the durability of any other smartphone on the market to shame. Another factor justifying its $10,000 price tag? It happens to be crafted by hand and not mass produced like most smartphones are.
The rest of the physical specs follow that of most smartphones out on the market—a 1.7 GHz dual-core CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage (expandable via microSD), an 8 megapixel back camera and a 1.3 megapixel front camera, and your usual connectivity options—Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and microUSB, all packaged into the relatively older Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS. But what makes the Vertu TI worth its price tag is some of the other apps that are exclusive to the phone. Vertu Life curates articles and exclusive event suggestions based on the user’s passions and location, which can possibly have you rubbing shoulders with the more elite members of society. Vertu Concierge is a 24/7 independent personal assistance service, or in essence, a butler that is available via smartphone. The basic level is free for the first year, and $2,800 (Php 114,016) per year afterwards. Vertu Certainty is a host of security-related services and provides remote technical assistance.
It also happens to be the company’s first Android offering, making a jump from the Symbian OS. “Vertu Ti is the most rounded product that we have ever designed. The new Android platform and elegant physical presence combined with Vertu’s renowned curated benefits and services deliver a unique and exceptional proposition,” Massimiliano Pogliani, Vertu’s Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, said.
For those who inexplicably still have money to burn, there is also the Titanium Red Gold Mixed Metals edition for $20,000 (Php 814,440).
Source: International Business Times