Heads up, fans of luxury smartphones! Vertu, a company known for creating Android devices that use premium materials and command high prices, has recently unveiled its newest offering, the Vertu Aster.
As expected for a product from a luxury mobile phone manufacturer, the Vertu Aster does not certainly come cheap. The device starts at $6,900.00, specifically for the models that come in calf leather in either black, blue, or pink color. Those who are more flexible financially can opt to get the snake skin model, which comes in black or orange colors, and fetches a mighty $9,100.00. As for the Bruce Waynes and Tony Starks of this world, they will no doubt find the $9,700.00 ostrich skin (brown or purple) version right up their alley.
Provided that you can afford the Vertu Aster, what exactly can you expect from the device?
Well, for starters, the luxury handset comes with a 4.7-inch 1920 by 1080 display screen made of sapphire crystal. The device is further complemented with two cameras: a 13-megapixel camera on the rear, and a 2.1-megapixel camera on the front.
In terms of hardware, the Vertu Aster packs a wealth of impressive components. The 2.3 GigaHertz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor is paired nicely with 64 gigabytes of internal storage and powered by a 2,275 mAh battery.
The Vertu Aster runs on Android 4.4 KitKat, which is not bad. Other features include front stereo speakers, qi-compatible wireless charging, 4G LTE connectivity, near field communications (NFC) support, and customer Vertu apps, namely Life (for access to invitation-only events and private clubs), Certainty (for security), and Concierge (to enjoy 24/7 assistance in searching for gifts and events).
Based on the smartphone's specs, the Vertu Aster is far from being a bad Android device. But it goes without saying that with a price tag as high as that, could one perhaps expect a little more? Well, specs and premium materials aside, the price you are paying for already encompasses Vertu's full suite of services, and of course, the luxury itself of owning a Vertu phone, which admittedly is something not many people have the resources to do so.
As for Vertu, when it is not busy producing luxury smartphones, it is quietly working its way into e-commerce. The company will be slowly deploying its Vertu Digital service between now and early 2015. By then, fans of the luxury phone maker will be able to directly purchase customized Vertu handsets online.
