Vertu chooses Android over Windows for luxury handset

[meaty]

I genuinely can't see why anyone would pay that for a handset. They are an icon of conspicuous consumption, nothing more.

Regarding the OS choice, they are right about market share which is why they were on Symbian and are now on android. Only time will tell where they end up.

[mixmax]

It's not about technology, it's about psychology.

If you're the target market for this phone you don't care much about the functionality, what you care about is that other people can see that you have so much money that you can carelessly throw around your phone that costs more than many people make in a month. It's all about perception.

Note that an important factor is that your peers have to know that the phone is prohibitively expensive. If they don't the point is lost. This is also why superyachts are so popular among the ultrarich. Everyone knows that they are crazy expensive to buy and maintain, and so they know you have the money to do so.

Douglas Adams has an unparalleled quote about the psychology behind it - "No expense had been spared to give the impression that no expense had been spared" This is also the only instance I've ever seen of recursion being used in fiction :-)

[VMG]

> I genuinely can't see why anyone would pay that for a handset. They are an icon of conspicuous consumption, nothing more.

So while you know the term conspicuous consumption, you doubt that it actually exists?

[networked]

Despite what Wikipedia says, most Vertu phones sold in the past weren't smartphones (unless you consider a personal concierge a kind of Siri); they were powered by Nokia's Series 40 firmware and had tiny 2" screens much like more mainstream Series 40 business phones, albeit covered with protective bling like sapphire glass. Apparently they still promote those on Vertu.com under the name Ascent. Nokia had just started transitioning Vertu phones to modern, touch-enabled Symbian with Constellation phones when they sold their Vertu arm to EQT.

[buro9]

The product that they're selling isn't the phone, it's the concierge service.

[charltones]

It's hard to appreciate unless you get to hold one in your hand and play with it. The phones are exceptionally well made - not just robust but well crafted. The sound reproduction from the external speakers is pretty amazing too - I'd quite happily listen to music playing on it.

Disclosure: I work for Vertu.

[lucian1900]

I don't get it either.

I would, however, welcome a stronger focus on device durability.

[cpursley]

I just don't get it. Then again I don't get Rolex or Land Rover, both inferior products compared to digital watch / Toyota.

[moccajoghurt]

> The only thing that scratches it is a diamond.

Too bad since their target market is probably in possession of a lot of diamonds.

[vidarh]

"oh no, I left my phone in the same pocket as my loose diamonds"

[meerita]

Before: a luxury phone with crappy software. Now: a luxury phone with good software.

Buy it if you like to burn money.

[Zigurd]

I do not know if Vertu was ever run at a profit, but, evidently, their new owner thinks it is possible.

The future prospects for Vertu are probably on an upward trend. If they can keep the software on their devices updated, a nice Android phone should have a five year lifespan before it is hopelessly out of date and unable to run new versions of the OS or lack the peripherals to support new features.

The size of phones, and screen resolution might be stabilizing. Several years of incremental improvements to power efficiency and other parameters will still add up to obsolescence. But, eventually, phones may become more like wristwatches. I have worn the same watch for more than 20 years, and it was made to last.

[djmdjm]

They'll be flying off the shelves faster than you can say "Veblen good"

[arethuza]

Fascinating: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good

"for consumers who want to use exclusive products, price is quality"

[olgeni]

> Each device has a "concierge" button

...and a 10 billion yen balance...

[StanS]

Nokia still retains an ownership stake in Vertu and yet Vertu doesn't seem to have much faith in its former parent's strategy.

[delinka]

While I can appreciate the irony, they claim to be making a practical decision. Since the device is not disposable, and since Windows doesn't yet hold the market share that makes them feel warm and fuzzy about the long term ... Android.

[huhtenberg]

It's a status symbol. It can be running MS DOS and still have the same niche demand.

[SlipperySlope]

Looks like a wise decision on the part of Vertu.

Why doesn't Nokia make the same decision!

[toyg]

Because they're not the same company anymore? Vertu was sold by Nokia last year.

[usaphp]

How can anybody associate android with Luxury? Was not android made to be very inexpensive in the first place?

[mtgx]

Because Symbian before it was associated with luxury? What does hardware have to do with the OS anyway? Would Android on iPhones be less luxurious? If so, why? Android looks 10x better than the Symbian Vertu used in the passed.

[delinka]

In addition to the other replies to your question, certainly Android is customizable by Vertu to "feel" more "luxurious."

[andyjohnson0]

They can't licence iOS and Symbian is at end-of-life. So the choice was between Windows Phone or Android. Since neither of these are particularly associated with luxury, the decision was presumably made using other criteria such as ecosystem size and brand recognition.