What's a distinguished person of taste and refinement to do when smartphones nowadays are all so
bulky and, well,
ubiquitous? He or she should go take a look at
Vertu's
store, of course, which has today been populated for the first time with a new, even more exclusive Signature collection, composed of four models -- one for each season. There's a load of talk about delicate hand-crafting and latest technology with these, but the truth of the matter is that you'll be buying one
solely for the purpose of puling it out of your carefully pressed, kerchiefed Armani suit in the hope of impressing any and all nearby members of the opposite sex. What this phone will then say, nay, scream, about you is that you have the money to buy things that are neither functional nor physically appealing -- the surest way to signal wealth and prestige. How much money?
Try a million Yen for each handset, which roughly translates to $10,830.
Update: Our sage readers have noted a failure in our machine-translated pricing. The handsets in fact cost
20 million Yen a piece, which equates to $216,600. So sorry to have misled you if you were heading off to the bank to get that 10 grand.
posted March 26th 2010 9:59AM
So that's 40000 to cover the year?
Ultraman phone
@Ren021 this aint no supersonic!
Looks like a nice object to beat the designers with.
@ThatDudeSolo
My eyes...my eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, do people ever buy these phones?... I know many stars bought it before and were said to be underwhelmed by it because it's just another Nokia phone...
@hh83917
When I was buying my phone at the Nokia store in NYC some guy got one for around 40 grand. So yeah people do get them. Would I ... never if a phone is more than 800 bucks forget about it. ( unlocked of course)
@hh83917
People who have insane incomes buy these. There are people who make 40 million a year, so that 216 000$ is one days pay. Pittance to them....
Really?......
WTF, it took a while to find the dam screen on this THING..
Kinda looks like a rich bitch alien would use...?
So, my Bugatti, Armani suit, Gucci Shoes, Coach Wallet, Black American Express won't seal the deal with the gold digger.... but if I have this, I'm all set?!
@versionII
Coach wallet?? It won't even get you a smile back from the ladies these days.
@versionII I was just reading your comment and thought the same as the other reader.. Coach wallet!? Really? That's the best you came up with? Coach wallet? Louis Vuitton or Gucci (at the very least man). :)
@LosCA
hey hey. If you're exclusively into ladies over 50, a Coach wallet is a killer accessory.
Meh would take a cheaper phone that does far more things without the over priced accessory casing crap. This phone is for people with with more money than brains.
@southern78
A bit like Apple then?
Ka-ZING. And down I go.
@southern78
The reason they have more money is because of their brains.
if only it was waterproof so when i dropped it in the private exec bathroom it wouldnt be ruined
@From My Cube
I'm sure you'd be able to afford another if you bought one in the first place...
@Atkins I'll take 2.
I actually really like them, but I'm guessing I could get a similar effect with more functionality by buying an iPhone and either paying someone to hand paint it, or getting some laser etching done.
@mmaestro Colorware PC. Buy a functional device and blow another $500 coloring it.
Who has the magnetron??!!
Does it run Flash? /oldjoke
@lycosman
needs to run Android ! /newjoke
'in the hope of impressing any and all nearby members of the opposite sex."
...or the same sex.
Actually those are sleeper Transformers, preparing to invade the Earth.
Correctness is 20 million yen. It is 215840 dollars in dollar conversion.
@NGT The automatic translation is wrong.
@Atkins
I think i got it cover with the pennies in my jar
Pulling
Eh what do you know about fashion with your skinny leg jeans and your partially tied converse shoes that you top off with a spiderman t-shirt covered by a blazer....
@Baconbits
we know how to tell a rip-off from far away.
One wang = how many yen?
I bet I could buy it!
Is this a tech post for Engadget? I didn't see one mention of any specifications, only snarky sarcastic remarks that sound envious of those who can afford a Vertu.
One million Yen or a Billion, what difference does it make? If someone has the brains and ability to make that kind of money, more power to them.
Vertu happen to be made from the highest quality materials available, a Vertu phone will outlive many many many normal cell phones, blackberries, iPhones, etc.
There is a reason for Vertu, Rolls Royce, etc... some people want the highest quality money can buy. I just don't understand the reason for the envious/jealous tone.
For technical details I guess I will have to to go the Vertu.com website, because they certainly weren't provided here.
@AriBurton
Completely agree, the kids on here won't though so I wouldn't bother explaining but kudos to you. Those who can afford it easily, enjoy such items. It's clearly not for us relatively-average folk.
@AriBurton Do you own a Vertu phone?
@AriBurton
OH SH*T BURNN
Engadget, you just be TOLD by a STREANG3R, WHO.. knows EVERYTHING!
Way to go, AriBurton. +1 for your completely ridiculous comment :D
@AriBurton
in b4 ZOMG Vertu troll.
@AriBurton what.... rolls royce is atleast packed with feautres this is for the man with an above average ego that's it.... if taste was the case then its the lack of, because this looks like shit I rather wear a bedazzled ed hardy shirt
@LosCA I don't need to own a Vertu phone, but congratulations to those that do.
@uHorndog I don't claim to know everything, but I am a tech reviewer and I know Vertu phones.
Unlike others, I don't have to slam products, or other people, to build myself up.
@AriBurton
I have to say that it doesn't matter what materials/technology you use(not mentioning gold/demands), it phone doesnt't cost more then $1000, if NASA had to build phone it would cost max of $15k and it would make cals from space...
@AriBurton Well, top of the morning to Vertu's marketing department.
LOL
@Borik When someone starts name calling, it advertises to the whole world that they lack the intellect to carry on an informed conversation or debate. I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
Further proof Nokia lost their wits ages ago.
@Stick
And yet, Vertu seems to be highly profitable for them. I hope that Nokia's shareholders don't share you sentiments.
@xbit Indeed there might be a reason why Nokia doesn't lisen only gadget freaks in Engadget.
Vertu still made 40 million profit last year so.... World second largest map provided Navteq that Nokia owns made 120 million euros just to compare.
@xbit
Profitable? Maybe so. Good? No.
@xbit Speaks a lot about the taste of the rich.