Dh55,000 phone unveiled in Dubai

Last week, Vertu, Nokia’s luxury mobile phone arm and world’s leading manufacturer of handcrafted phones, unveiled Constellation, its first-ever touchscreen phone, in Dubai.

While that sounds ancient, technology-wise, this is a device that affords its owner the power to clear skies or recoup assets from another country or enter some of the world’s most respected private members clubs – all at the touch of a button – or a few. And if that sounds James Bond-ish, well it is.

But let’s begin from the fact that the world’s first touch screen phone was launched perhaps in 2000. Is this really how long it took Vertu to come out with a touchscreen?

“No, we’ve never had a touchscreen phone before,” says an unapologetic Steve Amsutz, Vertu’s global head of sales. “We launched the Constellation Quest, our first smartphone, exactly a year ago,” he adds. “This year, after two-and-a-half-years of development, we are proud to present the first touchscreen phone.”

Proud, sure, but for a phone company that boasts of being the Rolls-Royce in mobile phones, isn’t it a bit late? “Apple kicked off the touchscreen concept three-four years ago and the whole industry has moved on from there… it was kind of a challenge for us,” he says, explaining that Vertu’s lead time – the time it takes for product development from concept to store – is quite longer than the mass market manufacturers.

Why’s that so? “Simply because we put in much more attention to detail – the craftsmanship required to engineer a phone from the material we use takes much longer than for, say, plastic,” he says. To be fair, Vertu uses unconventional material such as ceramic, precious stones and space-grade aluminium in its handcrafted phones.

For its latest pocket pal, the Constellation, the luxury phone-maker boasts of using sapphire crystal for the screen, an 8 megapixel camera with an intricate ruby surround on the shutter key, polished ceramic pillow, surgical grade stainless steel with satin and polished finish, highest quality leather on the back plate of the phone as well as Vertu’s unique high fidelity sound system.

“That’s why we are coming behind the pack – however, we have now caught up in terms of technology,” he claims, adding that the company is “very happy with the speed of this device.” He swears by the clarity of the screen, going as far as giving me an impromptu demo of the Ghost Protocol clip showing Tom Cruise performing his famous Burj Khalifa stunts – talk about tailoring the spiel to the audience!

Amsutz says the Vertu product offering is based primarily on three overlapping offerings – pioneering design (what he calls ‘the heritage of Vertu’), technology (where the company is satisfied for having finally ‘ticked all the boxes’) and the third, perhaps the most important pillar, services, where he claims Vertu is putting the most emphasis and development resources.

“Vertu is building a whole new world of exclusive services that are actually part of your device,” he says. The price-tag? Starting at €4,400 (Dh22,000) for an entry-level Constellation (Satin Brown), the most exclusive Constellation (Red Gold Mixed Metals) can set you back by a neat €10,900 (Dh55,000). But for the uninitiated, don’t for a moment think that you get just a mobile phone for that price.

“Once you insert your SIM card into the device, you will be prompted to register with Vertu services – you will then decide to go (or not) through a ‘fitting call; which will help us understand your passion points,” he says. This helps the company to offer products and services geared to the customer’s taste.

The famous Vertu Concierge, legendary for getting things done, is only a tap away, he says. “The Concierge, accessible via a dedicated key on the handset, can arrange anything from bespoke gifts to money-can’t-buy events and experience and are 100 per cent committed to fulfilling a Vertu owner’s every request,” says Amsutz. With experts based in city hubs around the world, the service provides dedicated lifestyle assistance round-the-clock in eight global languages.

“The phone is ‘location aware’ – meaning that the moment I land in a new city, I am offered a City Brief, which tells me what to do and, sometimes more importantly, what not to do in a particular place,” he adds.

The device also comes pre-loaded with three unique applications that Vertu’s sales director claims are “relevant to the times that we live in”. And that’s where the Vertu customer wins his cash back – metaphorically speaking.

The first app is about the physical security of the customer and his or her team/family. “We have signed a partnership with Protector Services Group (PSG), a global security provider that organizes private surveillance for the Vertu customer.

We can help you recuperate assets that you may have left behind in another country, we can organize private jets – and clear the skies for VIPs to reach a particular airport. There is a world of security services beyond the typical bodyguard services that can be provided by PSG,” he says.

The second app – perhaps a little less relevant in the Middle East – is the wine service. Vertu has partnered with Berry Brothers and Rudd, one of Britain’s oldest wine merchants, to provide information about wine blends and vineyards.

Vertu owners can submit questions at any given time for an almost immediate response, as well as the “Identify a Bottle” feature, which allows users to photograph the wine label of any bottle to receive identification, tasting notes and advice about similar wines from a team of experts.

The third app is about access to some of the world’s most exclusive clubs. “We are signing partnerships with clubs across the world – right now we have about 10 locations in the world, including the Key Club in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Core Club in New York, St James Club in Paris and the Monte Carlo Club in Dubai – where you can enter the club free of charge, a certain number of times a year,” he says.

Of course there are other exclusive concierge services that are being lined up - door-to-door transfers of your luggage, access to airport lounges, and plenty more, he promises.

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