Vertue

We were beginning to get a little worried after seeing Vertu come out with a bargain handset at a mere $6,628 last month. But then we saw it's latest version and were reassured that the world had not turned upside-down.

The luxury phone maker has released a new model in its already-over-the-top "Signature" line, this one in white gold with black and white diamonds. Sybarites says this version, which even has stones embedded in the handset's keys, is made of 644 white diamonds and 428 black ones. The price isn't mentioned, but something tells … Read more

OK, so maybe there aren't as many precious stones as you'd like, but at least you get some spare change left over. After such models as the "Diamond" ($88,000) and "Signature Cobra" ($310,000), Vertu's "Ascent Ti" is cheap at about $6,628.

The handset by Nokia's luxury unit features premium materials including a Titanium chassis, cowhide leather back, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face and polished ceramic. Available in stores starting this month, it also comes in you choice of black, red or brown. (Crave gave an early peek at … Read more

All of this touch-screen talk sometimes makes us pine for simpler times, when products were made with more tactile aesthetics in mind. We're apparently not alone, as manufacturers such as Lenovo are making such items as notebooks clad in leather.

Now Vertu, the king of luxury phones, is bringing the cowhide concept to its latest handset, identified as the "Ascent T" in FCC filings. The proposed phone has a 3-megapixel camera, a scratch-proof LCD and UMTS mobile Internet access, according to BornRich, but it's the bovine component that's most easily noticeable. It's not the … Read more

Silly us. After seeing some of Vertu's recent handsets, we thought the luxury phone maker might be headed in a more subdued direction. After all, they were a far cry from the $310,000 "Signature Cobra" or even its Ferrari anniversary edition.

But nay. The company has come back with a vengeance, unveiling the "Pink Diamond Signature," a handset made of rose gold that Sybarites says "features a full spectrum of pink diamonds as well as clear diamonds paved in flower patterns along the side of the phone."

What, no platinum? It must … Read more

Those who are familiar with Vertu may associate it with Ferraris and $310,000 serpent handsets. But the luxury phone maker has a casual side too, and it's ready to celebrate summertime with strawberries and cream. The "Strawberry" and "Cream" phones are accented with perforated leather made to feel like the surface of the seasonal fruit, in respective pink and cream hues. Sybarites did not disclose a price for these special editions of the "Ascent" line, but we'll keep an eye out at the kiosks of our local mall. It may take … Read more

Ferrari's marketing department is apparently as finicky as the legendary brand's automobiles. That, at least, is the only explanation we can assume given its fickle nature on branded mobile phones.

Just a few months after announcing a custom Motorazr Maxx V6 that bore its nameplate, Ferrari has already made a sharp turn to another manufacturer: luxury handset maker Vertu, which will produce the "Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition" to mark the automaker's 60th birthday.

As for the specs, we'll leave you with Tech Digest's summary: "To match the year, there's 1947 … Read more

If Nefertiti had a cell phone, it would have been the Vertu "Signature Cobra." Not just because of its legendary asp, either. The Cobra, part of uber-luxury Vertu family, is by definition fit for a queen.

Slashphone says the Cobra's cobra is adorned with "one pear-cut diamond, one round white diamond, two emerald eyes and 439 rubies," which helps explain (if not justify) the $310,000 price tag. But you'd better hurry if you want to snatch up one of these before the rush begins: Only eight of them will be sold.

It must be nice to own a phone from Vertu, maker of handsets for the rich and famous. For one thing, you have to be able to afford one. (A Signature Standard platinum model lists for for $31,850.) Second, you may need connections just to track it down, as only hundreds of models are made in particular lines.

Now Vertu has finished the last of its "Racetrack Legends" series, completing the set with the "Monaco" and "Nurburgring" editions, in yellow and titanium gray, respectively. Like others in the line--limited to 1,000 phones … Read more