Vertu Luxury Cellphones Switch Over to Android

By Wolfgang Gruener
published

Originally created by Nokia as a high-end cell phone brand, Vertu is still in business and has received some attention with a surprising announcement.

The company will switch its operating system from Symbian to Android. This may be especially interesting for you if you consider an iPhone as too cheap and generic and you are willing to spend up to $20,000 for a gold-plated, as well as carbon fiber and black sapphire encased smartphone that makes a Blackberry look like the headline product from your local dollar store.

Nokia recently sold Vertu to EQT VI and the new CEO Anssi Vanjoki is not wasting any time to steer the luxury brand into a different direction. Instead of using Windows Phone, which was Nokia's original plan, Vanjoki now prefers Android. This is especially interesting since Vertu once pledged to stick with Symbian to be able to different than other Android smartphones.

Realistically, the operating system has never been an advantage to justify the exorbitant price of Vertu phones. Using Android is simply a necessity now to offer at least the same features as other phone makers, while exotic materials, crystals and diamonds will leave plenty of opportunity to please a crowd who is not content with a sparkling iPhone case.

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Wolfgang Gruener
15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • rodbowler
    Only the truly idle rich would ever be interested in such a thing. Idle, and foolish.
    Reply
  • freggo
    Truly rich (as in earned over generations) do not waste their money on bull like this. Only the newly rich do that.
    Reply
  • rodbowler
    @freggo. No argument here!
    Reply
  • wolley74
    pointless, but i'd rather have em spend money then just horde it for no reason, get some of it back into the economy at any rate
    Reply
  • jacobdrj
    There is another aspect to this. Those who are wealthy, and who got there on their own merits, also have a concept of:
    Better to spend more on long lasting quality, rather than have to re-buy cheap stuff over and over again.

    These things are made out of materials that are better than Gorilla Glass, at least in theory. Someone may just want to buy a phone and not worry about its durability. And since iPhones are not really status symbols, due to their affordability, they might also be perceived as lower quality than one of these.
    Reply
  • Up-Chuck!
    Reply
  • aragis
    jacobdrjThere is another aspect to this. Those who are wealthy, and who got there on their own merits, also have a concept of:Better to spend more on long lasting quality, rather than have to re-buy cheap stuff over and over again.These things are made out of materials that are better than Gorilla Glass, at least in theory. Someone may just want to buy a phone and not worry about its durability. And since iPhones are not really status symbols, due to their affordability, they might also be perceived as lower quality than one of these.

    Watches and shoes are status symbols, not phones. And if some billionaire's wife wants to pay 40k for a shiny phone with a slow processor, mediocre camera, shitty battery life and outdated OS, she is retarded.

    If you're so insecure and obsessed that you want to hold gold and jewels in your hand when you're holding a smartphone, at least get a proper smartphone and get a luxury case for it...
    Reply
  • hiryu
    Vertu is not just a phone but also the service provided.
    Reply
  • dalethepcman
    These will be in the hands of every ghetto rich rapper on MTV, showing them talking on the phone while driving their gold plated hummer....
    Reply
  • svdb
    The ones who can afford this wouldn't they already have their private butler or secretary make the calls for them?
    - "Em, John... Please be so kind to call the Captain and tell him to ready my yacht, will you?"
    - "Yes Sir. Should he prepare the white one or the blue one, sir?"...
    Reply