Cellphone maker strives to reach peak of luxury

The launch ceremony in Shanghai recreates a fantastic scene from Vertu's advertisement. [Photo/China Daily]

Villas, yachts, private jets, chateaus and golf courses. For the Chinese superrich, a hand-polished luxury mobile phone that costs tens of thousands of yuan is just another glamorous addition to that list.

And sometimes one is not enough—one Chinese fan has collected 50, observes Ignacio Germade, creative director of English luxury cellphone maker Vertu. Germade was in Shanghai for a pre-launch dinner reserved for Vertu customers last month.

"We have collectors around the world but he is probably the person who has the most phones," Germade says, without giving further details about one Chinese customer.

The brand launched Signature Touch, its new high-performance smartphone, in Shanghai on July 10. The new phone, combining luxury materials, state-of-art technology and dedicated services, is priced starting at 80,000 yuan ($12,945).

The new phone has incorporated some cutting-edge technologies, including sound tuned in collaboration with B&O, Hasselblad certified imaging and the latest version of Android to deliver a level of technology that is superior to many existing phones in the market, says Vertu's CEO, Massimiliano Pogliani.

While the new model reflects Vertu DNA with its titanium casing, hand-finished leather and solid sapphire crystal screen, the design is more contemporary with simpler and cleaner lines. Five colors include Jet Calf, Seaspray Lizard and Jet Alligator; each phone is handmade by a single craftsman in Vertu's headquarters in Hampshire, England.

The company's expanded "lifestyle management" services include access to elite events, private clubs and invitation-only events.